Wildcats Power Past Grand View, 3-1 for First Conference Win

BALDWIN CITY - After earning a road draw earlier in the week, Baker women's soccer picked up its first Heart win of the season on Saturday night at Hartley Field, defeating Grand View 3-1 behind three different goal scorers.

The Wildcats seized control early, building a two-goal advantage in the first half and dictating the pace throughout the night. Baker pushed the margin to 3-0 midway through the second half before the Vikings spoiled the shutout with a goal in the 69th minute.

Statistically, Baker held a decisive edge with a 12-3 advantage in shots and a commanding 12-1 margin in corner kicks, including 10 in the second half alone. Sidney Claeys and Naomi Harris-Hyche each led the attack with four shots apiece.

In goal, Sophia Holloway played nearly 80 minutes, conceding just once before giving way to sophomore Karenna Starnes in the 79th minute.

After a quiet start to the match, the breakthrough came in the 23rd when Harris-Hyche headed home a corner kick that initially deflected high off a Viking defender before the leaping Harris-Hyche knocked it in for her second goal of the season.

Just four minutes later, Claeys drew a foul on the far side of the box to set up a free kick for Caitlin Youles, whose entry found the head of Rihanna Blanchard for her third goal of the season.

In the 66th minute, Baker capped a run of three unanswered goals as Claeys converted in front of goal off a pinpoint pass from Darcy Cato. It was Claeys' second straight match with a goal after scoring one at William Woods on Wednesday, giving her a team-best four on the year. Cato also increased her status as the club leader in assists with five dimes in seven matches this season.

With the victory, Baker has now earned a result in four of its last five matches, highlighted by a road win at Tabor (Sept. 3) along with ties with Ottawa (Aug. 29) and William Woods (Sept. 10).

The Wildcats' attack has looked very sharp through the early parts of 2025, scoring multiple goals in five of seven matches this fall, including three or more goals in three of their last four outings. BU sits just two goals shy of equaling its entire scoring output from the 2024 season (18).

Up next, Baker will head out on the road next weekend and travel to Oskaloosa, Iowa, to face William Penn on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 11 a.m.

#BakerBuildsChampions