The Aggies defended their undefeated status at home on Saturday, Feb. 26, beating Baylor for the third time in a row in the 2022 season.
After going head-to-head for the first three quarters, Texas A&M women’s lacrosse dominated the final quarter, finishing with a 12-7 win over Baylor at the Feb. 26 matchup at the Penberthy Rec Sports Complex. The win sets the team up for a three-game matchup against its most challenging opponents this weekend, including the University of Texas, the “toughest” team they will face, the team captain said.
The Aggies started off the morning game in possession of the ball after junior midfielder Shae Murphy won the draw. Just seconds into the game, the Aggies put the first point on the board.
“Draw control is a really big aspect of lacrosse, so being able to possess it for a majority of the game was a really big thing for us,” Murphy said.
Baylor was quick to retaliate. After intercepting an Aggie pass, Baylor tied up the score at 1-1. The comeback set the tone for the next two quarters. By the end of the first, Baylor took the lead with a score of 3-2. Ending the half with a 4-4 tie, the Aggies stepped up their offense finishing the third quarter ahead 8-7.
With Baylor on its tail, A&M picked up speed in the final quarter. Defense held the Bears at 7 for the rest of the game, while offense widened the gap. Sophomore defensive player Abigail Standbrook successfully intercepted a Baylor pass with less than two minutes left in the game. The play resulted in another point for the Aggies.
“I think [the game] went how we were expecting,” Standbrook said. “We were really strong in midfield and dominated on offense, scoring a lot.”
Defensive player and President of the A&M women’s lacrosse team Molly Johnson explained this win was a huge step toward their goal of qualifying for nationals at the April 10 division championship.
“I’m very confident we will be in the top four of our division, because Baylor is one of the main competitors for the top four,” Johnson said. “Next weekend is definitely going to be our toughest matchup. We play ‘T.U.,’ and that’ll definitely be our toughest game of the whole season.”
The Aggies will host Tulane, LSU and UT on Saturday, March 5 at Penberthy.