WACO, Texas – No. 11 Baylor soccer (18-5-0) rolled through the opening round of the NCAA Soccer Championship, cruising to a 2-0 victory over Abilene Christian (15-5-1) on a chilly Saturday evening at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
Entering the tournament as a No. 2 national seed, the Bears maintained their perfect record at home in 2018, improving their program record home standing to 11-0.
The Bears struck early in the 15th minute, with a loose ball in the box punched back by Giuliana Cunningham to Julie James at the top of the 18.
James snuck a pass through a pair of ACU defenders, finding Sarah King with an open look from point-blank range.
King drove in the goal, her second of the season, standing as the game-winner in the shutout victory.
The Bears found insurance in the second period, coming out swinging just two minutes after the halftime break.
In the 47th minute, Ally Henderson took the corner kick for the Bears, connecting with Camryn Wendlandt for a header shot in front of the goal that found the back of the net, giving BU the 2-0 cushion and giving Wendlandt her team-best 10th goal of the season.
The Bears pitched the shutout on their home turf, securing a trip into the second-round action, hosted next weekend back at Betty Lou.
