Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A failed clearance on a deep Bear free kick in the 95th minute spelled doom for the No. 16-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team, as the Mountaineers fell in overtime, 1-0, to No. 24 Baylor tonight at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
 
WVU (7-3-3, 3-1) out-possessed the Bears (10-4, 3-1) and earned a big statistical edge, but in the end, the Mountaineers could not find the chance they needed to extend their win streak.
 
"You look all the way around the board, and we dominated every category but finishing," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "It's unfortunate that we didn't finish tonight. I thought we played well enough to win this game, but you have to give credit to Baylor – they found the back of the net. They had two shots on-goal, and they got one."
 
A Mountaineer foul just over the midfield line gave BU its golden opportunity. Bear goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt played the ball into the box, where it bounced off several Mountaineer defenders, as well as BU's Sarah King. The ball eventually landed at the feet of forward Camryn Wendlandt, and she quickly buried her shot from inside the goal box to the left corner.
 
"Unfortunately, Easther (Mayi Kith) got a piece of the first one, but we weren't able to clear the second one," Izzo-Brown said of BU's goal.  
 
Tonight's defeat is WVU's first since dropping a 2-0 loss to No. 11 Georgetown on Sept. 2, also in Morgantown. The Bears' goal is the first allowed by WVU to a Big 12 Conference opponent this season and the first allowed by the Mountaineers since Clemson tallied a second-half score in a 2-1 WVU victory on Sept. 7.
 
The loss halts WVU's home unbeaten streak against conference opponents at 40.
 
The Mountaineers finished with a 19-4 edge in shots and forced Wandt into a season-high nine saves. WVU also finished with an 11-2 edge in corner kicks.
 
Junior Rylee Foster made one second-half save for WVU.
 
Tonight marked the second consecutive overtime match between the Mountaineers and the Bears. Last season, WVU earned a 2-1 (OT) edge in Waco, Texas, on Sept. 22.
 
"They're very physical and great athletes. I thought their goalkeeper had a great game," Izzo-Brown said of BU. "They made it to the Elite Eight last year. They're a tough, tough team to play. Physically, they man-mark you and disrupt you, and they do some things that no other team in the country does. You have to give them credit."
 
Prior to the Bears' golden goal, the Mountaineers did not have a clean look in overtime, despite earning their 11th corner kick in the 1:32 into the extra period.
 
With momentum and excitement swirling after halftime, the Mountaineers looked to find the quick advantage. After play between the 18s, senior defender Bianca St. Georges earned a shot near the right post. The attempt looked good, even faking out half of the boisterous Mountaineer crowd, but the shot went wide.
 
Five minutes later, seniors Sh'Nia Gordon and Hannah Abraham collaborated for a great connection high of the box that resulted in a shot for Abraham. Her curving ball from 15-out floated toward the left post before Wandt pushed it out of play for a WVU corner kick.
 
BU's lone shot on-goal of the half followed in the 64th minute, a weak, long attempt from forward Kennedy Brown. Foster easily made the catching stop.
 
Wandt again made the save on a hard shot from Gordon in the 69th minute. The Mountaineers challenged the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week again in the 86th minute, as a choppy shot from sophomore midfielder Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel bounced over the Bear backline and looked to sneak under the crossbar. At the right moment, Wandt punched the ball up and over the netting.
 
Possession favored the Mountaineers throughout the first half, as WVU outshot BU, 10-1. The Mountaineers earned five shots on-goal and looked most dangerous late in the half.
 
Freshman defender Jordan Brewster nearly snagged the advantage for WVU in the 28th minute. At least 15 yards high of the box, she sent a floating shot toward the frame that curved late. Wandt leapt and pushed the ball away from the crossbar for a save.
 
With under four minutes remaining, freshmen Lizzie Mayfield and Alina Stahl connected wide. Stahl pushed into the box before sending a cross to junior forward Jade Gentile. Gentile's shot at the left post was stuffed by Wandt. With the Bear goalkeeper out of position, Ferrer-vanGinkel pounced, but her rebound attempt also was saved.
 
Sophomore forward Lauren Segalla paced the field with five shots, and Gordon and Ferrer-vanGinkel registered two shots on-goal each. Wendlandt tallied a team-best two shots for the Bears.
 
Tonight's loss was WVU's first in the all-time series with BU, and the Mountaineers maintain a 5-1-1 series advantage.
 
The Mountaineers return to Dick Dlesk Stadium Sunday afternoon and close a three-match homestand against No. 13 Texas at 1 p.m. It's a Pink Match, and all fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. Additionally, it's a Dollar Day, and all tickets and select concessions will be available for $1 each courtesy of WVU Medicine.