Baylor nips Bucs with early John Musick goal

Baylor's John Musick and McCallie's Ross Wortman pursue the ball Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at Baylor.
Baylor's John Musick and McCallie's Ross Wortman pursue the ball Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at Baylor.

The Baylor boys' soccer team applied relentless pressure in its 1-0 home win over Boyd-Buchanan on Tuesday night. The Red Raiders showed little signs of being slowed by spring break, looking sharp on both offense and defense from the start.

"We came out with a lot of energy and effort, and that's something we've done well this year," Baylor coach Curtis Blair said. "We have a lot of guys who work hard. That early goal was a great example. They did a great job closing the guy down, and we got a goal out of it. Good things happen when you work hard."

John Musick deflected a Buccaneer's pass at midfield and was able to corral it deep on the Red Raiders' side of the field. Left with the goalkeeper to beat after winning the foot race, he sent the ball in with his right foot for the early lead in the seventh minute.

Baylor kept Boyd-Buchanan on its heels, winning balls in the air and firing shots from near and far. The Red Raiders were able to rack up 13 shots in the first half alone, with a couple striking the crossbar.

"Baylor's good," Bucs coach Dustin Walker said. "They exposed a lot of our weaknesses, but that's why we put them on the schedule. This is something we can learn from and hopefully get better."

The Bucs got a stellar performance from goalkeeper Isaac Antwine, who had a lot to do with limiting the damage to one goal. Antwine had nine saves in an active night.

While limited, Boyd-Buchanan was able to find a few dangerous chances, one from potent goal scorer Will Boyanton, who made a first-half run deep in the box before having it cleared from his feet. The other came on a run along the sideline for Jeremy Borders. Borders was able to cross the ball in, but Baylor players were waiting.

"When we found some composure and were able to get passes to feet, we did some good things," Walker said. "But Baylor was just really aggressive, and I think we lost our composure. Their team pressure was just great, and hopefully we can pick up some things from them."

The Red Raiders kept up the pressure throughout the second half and were able to maintain a steady level of possession. It seemed the only thing the home squad was unable to do was extend their lead, despite threatening several times.

"I think a lot of it is coming out of spring break," Blair said. "I have to do a better job of putting our guys in those situations in training. It's great that they're putting themselves in those positions. We just have to work on finishing."

Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.

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