K-State hit the road Sunday after a loss to Kansas in the Dillon’s Sunflower Showdown, traveling to Waco, Texas, to take on No. 7 Baylor.
Baylor started hot, controlled the tempo in the opening 10 minutes and generated three shots. K-State responded in the 35th minute, though, as the Bears blocked a shot from sophomore Alix Regier and junior Adelle Francis finished into the open net to put the ‘Cats up 1-0. K-State held that lead into halftime, outshooting Baylor 8-4 and leading 3-0 in shots on goal.
Coming out of halftime, Baylor kept the pressure on the Wildcats, looking for the equalizer to avoid a major upset. In the 66th minute, the Bears found their chance after a handball call gave them a free kick from about 20 yards out. Noelle Sather sent the ball into the upper-left corner, tying the game at 1-1.
Five minutes later, Regier and Francis connected again. K-State won possession near midfield, and Regier sent a through ball to Francis, who broke free and beat Baylor goalkeeper Azul Alvarez to the left post to put the ‘Cats back in front, 2-1.
Regier recorded 2 assists, setting the school record for assists in a Big 12 game. Francis scored both of K-State’s goals, bringing her season total to 3 — all in conference play — and her career total to 5 as a Wildcat. She is tied for second in program history for goals scored in Big 12 play in a season.
“Both Alix [Regier] and Adelle [Francis] have continued to grow and compete throughout the course of the season and have shown up in a big way in games,” head coach Colleen Corbin said.
Baylor stormed back just minutes after K-State retook the lead. Grace White scored in the 74th minute to even the score at 2, and Theresa McCullough found the back of the net from 22 yards out in the 77th minute to give the Bears a 3-2 lead.
K-State could not find another equalizer, falling to Baylor and extending its losing streak to four games.
“We once again did enough to win the game but not enough to see out the result,” Corbin said.
Despite the loss, Corbin emphasized the positives of facing one of the country’s top teams.
“This team is capable of competing against any team in the country – I truly believe that,” Corbin said. “It comes down to details. Everything matters always, and we will be intentional about continuing to grow in our preparation and our mentality as we navigate this incredibly competitive conference.”
The Wildcats return home at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, to face another ranked opponent in No. 12 Colorado at Buser Family Park. The match will air on ESPN+.
“Life isn’t always fair, and neither is soccer,” Corbin said. “We need to make sure we are taking care of all of the controllables to set ourselves up for success the best that we can.”
