Oct. 22, 2015 WACO, Texas -- Baylor soccer stays in-state this weekend with its final regular season Big 12 road trip to face TCU and Texas. The Bears (8-5-2, 3-1-1) take on the Horned Frogs (8-7-0, 2-3-0) Friday at 7 p.m. CT and Texas (7-3-4, 4-1-1) Sunday at 4 p.m. on Longhorn Network.
Undefeated in nine of their last 10 matches, the Bears head into the weekend after a 1-0 shutout of Oklahoma last Friday and 1-1 tie of No. 17 Texas Tech last Sunday. TCU enters the weekend on a three-match losing streak after falling to Texas Tech (3-0) and Texas (3-0) last week. Texas is undefeated in its last five matches and is coming off a road win over No. 17 Texas Tech (2-1) last Friday.
Friday's match will have live stats and video on GoFrogs.com while Sunday's match will have live stats on TexasSports.com and will air on Longhorn Network. Twitter updates can be found on the @BaylorFutbol official account.
Baylor Bear Foundation Preview
By Hector Castelltort
With three conference games remaining and still in control of its destiny, the Baylor soccer team (8-5-2, 3-1-1) goes into this weekend banged up after physical matchups against Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
The Bears went undefeated last weekend, beating Oklahoma 1-0 and tying 17th-ranked Tech, 1-1, but it came with a price.
"It was a really physical weekend. We got a little banged up," said Baylor coach Paul Jobson, whose team travels to face TCU (8-7-0, 2-3-0) at 7 p.m. Friday in Fort Worth and Texas (7-3-4, 4-1-1) at 4 p.m. Sunday in Austin. "We had some players who, fortunately, it looked worse than it was long-term. We've got a couple of girls who are using this weekend to get better."
Freshman forward Lauren Piercy was carted off the field after a big hit in Friday's game against Oklahoma and has a bruised back. Veteran defenders Lindsay Burns and McKenna Martin and freshman forward Amanda Hoglund all took hits that sent them to the bench for the remainder of Sunday's game against Tech.
"Everybody is cleared to play. It's just based on what their pain tolerance allows them to do when they get on the field Friday," Jobson said.
After opening league play with lopsided wins over Iowa State and Oklahoma State, TCU has lost three in a row by a combined score of 8-1 and has fallen into a tie for fifth in the Big 12 standings with six points. With 10 points, Baylor trails defending champion and third-ranked West Virginia (16) and Texas (13), but can win at least a share of the conference title by sweeping its last three games.
The Horned Frogs' offense is led by junior forward Michelle Prokoff with nine goals and two assists. She is tied for second in the league in goals and third in points (20).
"She's a really good player, but we are a great defense, " Jobson said of a unit that has allowed just 12 goals all year. "We are one of the best defensive teams in the conference. I know our girls are up for any challenge."
With barely time to catch their breath, the Bears have one day off before hopping back on the bus for the trip down I-35 to face Texas. The Longhorns are riding a three-game winning streak that included a 2-1 victory over Texas Tech in double-overtime last Friday in Lubbock.
Texas goalkeeper Abby Smith, who played for the USA U-23 Women's National team this summer, leads the Big 12 and ranks 16th nationally in saves percentage (.874), ranks first in the league in saves per game (59.3) and second in saves with 84.
"The thing for us, no matter if we have played a great defensive team, we have been able to create opportunities," Jobson said. "Not to discredit them, but I think we're good enough to create opportunities. It will just be a matter of getting one behind her, because she is a really good goalkeeper."
The Bears have already earned a spot in the Big 12 Championships Nov. 4-8 in Kansas City, Mo., and can clinch a top-four seed with a win in Friday's game against TCU. They are also still alive for their first Big 12 regular-season title since 1998.
MATCH INFO
Fri., Oct. 23 at TCU at 7:00 p.m.
Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium (1,500)
Stats: GoFrogs.com
Video: GoFrogs.com
Sun., Oct. 25 at UT at 4:00 p.m.
Myers Stadium (20,000)
Stats: TexasSports.com
TV: Longhorn Network
BAYLOR BEARS
2015 Record: 8-5-2
2015 Big 12 Record: 3-1-1
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 8-5-2 (1st season)
BU: 8-5-2 (1st season)
TCU HORNED FROGS
2015 Record: 8-7-0
2015 Big 12 Record: 2-3-0
Head Coach: Eric Bell
Career: 29-35-10 (4th season)
TCU: 29-35-10 (4th season)
TEXAS LONGHORNS
2015 Record: 7-3-4
2015 Big 12 Record: 4-1-1
Head Coach: Angela Kelly
Career: 198-111-32 (16th season)
UT: 38-27-12 (4th season)
BAYLOR QUICK NOTES
* Baylor holds edges over its 2015 foes in shots (252-111), shots on goal (106-45), goals (29-12) & corners (63-54).
* Among NCAA rankings, Baylor is 33rd in shots per game (16.8), 38th in assists (28), 42nd in goals allowed/game (0.74), 52nd in points (86) and 66th in goals (29).
* In the Big 12, Baylor is 2nd in goals allowed/game and 3rd in shots per game, assists, points and goals.
* Baylor freshmen Jackie Crowther (79th), Sarah King (40th) & Julie James (47th) were named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen list.
* Junior Lindsay Burns made CollegeSoccer360.com's Week 9 National Primetime Performer Honor Roll Oct. 21.
* Freshman Sarah King's 10 assists in 2015 lead the Big 12 & rank 4th nationally -- her 10 assists are 3rd-most by a Baylor freshman in single season history & tied for 3rd-most in Baylor overall single season history.
* Freshman Lauren Piercy ranks 72nd in NCAA in game-winning goals (3, 2nd in Big 12)
* Junior Sara Martinson ranks 28th in NCAA in goals against average (0.643, 2nd in Big 12)
* Baylor has 41 shutouts over the last three seasons & six in 2015.
* Baylor is 28-2-2 when scoring first since 2013 & 8-0-1 in 2015.
* Baylor has gone undefeated in 9 of its last 10 matches.
* Before losing at Kansas Oct. 9th, Baylor had won 7 straight matches for 1st time since Oct. 19 - Nov. 16, 2012 (8).
* Baylor has scored 25 goals & allowed 4 in its last 10 matches (8-1-1).
* Baylor has held edges in shots & shots on goal in 11 of its 15 matches this season (Purdue tied in shots, Iowa State led in shots on goals, Kansas led in shots on goals, Oklahoma tied in shots on goal).
* Baylor is 51-16-10 at home since 2008 & 4-2-1 in 2015.
* Senior Bri Campos scored her 3rd goal of the season & 18th of her career Oct. 18 for her 47th career point as she is 2-for-2 on career penalty kicks (both in 2015) -- she ranks 10th all-time at Baylor in career goals, just 1 shy of 9th, & is 9th in career points.
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