From the first whistle, Texas A&M men’s club soccer never looked back as it kicked off the 2025 spring conference schedule with a 5-1 drubbing of Baylor under sunny Saturday skies at Penberthy Sports Rec Complex.
The Saturday, March 1 matchup against the Bears followed two preseason scrimmage wins, with the Aggies now 3-0 in the Premier Conference of the Texas Club Soccer League. Baylor slips to 1-1-1 on the season after the loss to A&M.
In the first half, general engineering sophomore Alejandro Yanes capitalized on a neat pass to drill home a shot just past the Bears’ goalkeeper in the 15th minute and net a 1-0 lead for the Aggies. It was a lead that the Maroon and White would not surrender. Nuclear engineering junior Eli Alaniz found a seam in the Bears’ defense on a brilliant breakaway goal with just a few minutes left in the first half to put the home team up 2-0.
Coming into the game, the Aggies knew it would be a tough matchup, but nuclear engineering junior Raphael Parra also knew the experienced team was up for the challenge.
“This team is really well built,” Parra said. “We have guys that have been together 3-4 years now and some guys that are newer, but we get along together and have a lot of teamwork events that help everyone grow.”
Players described having a superior skill advantage, with a bonus of an unseasonably warm first day of March that helped them come out aggressive and play fast throughout the match.
“Baylor has always been pretty aggressive I would say, so one of the challenges is to make sure we are also playing aggressively and don’t let them bully us off the ball,” engineering freshman Sebastian Khayat said. “I think we’re a lot better technically than them.”
Sports management senior and goalkeeper Luis Perez De Leon made two saves at the 60th-minute and 65th-minute marks in the second half to maintain the Maroon and White’s momentum by holding on to the 2-0 lead. The A&M offense heated things up, pouring in three second-half goals to take a commanding 5-0 lead over Baylor. The Aggies coasted to a comfortable win despite the Bears responding with their only goal in the 81st-minute.
The win showcased solid performances from multiple players, including engineering freshman Aaron Keating, accounting junior Sebastian Ramirez and supply chain senior Cedric Van Der Donckt, who all scored second-half goals. Offensive firepower paired with solid defense held a very aggressive Baylor squad to just one goal.
The Aggies look to keep their conference momentum going when they take on the Rice Owls March 7 at the Penberthy Sports Rec Complex.
