Sept. 3, 2015 WACO, Texas --Baylor soccer ends its first road trip this weekend by returning to Texas for a pair of matches against the Southland Conference. The Bears' (0-4-0) four-game stretch concludes with a Friday game at Sam Houston State (2-2-0) at 6:30 p.m. CT and Sunday tilt at Incarnate Word (2-2-0) at 1 p.m.
Baylor heads into the weekend after losing both matches at the 2015 Boilermaker Challenge Cup in West Lafayette, Ind., to Purdue and Indiana. SHSU enters the contest following a pair of 2-0 losses last weekend to Florida Atlantic and Rice. UIW enters the weekend after falling to North Texas and Prairie View A&M last weekend, and face Houston Friday on the road.
Both matches will feature live stats on GoBearkats.com and CardinalAthletics.com, respectively, while the UIW website will also have a live video stream of Sunday's match. Twitter updates can be found on the @BaylorFutbol official account.
Baylor Bear Insider Preview
By Jerry Hill
Paul Jobson is not about to make wholesale changes after losing four one-goal games to power-5 conference teams, including two in overtime.
"I think our girls see the fact that that they have been in every game and they've been the better team, for the most part, in most of those games," said Jobson, whose Bears (0-4-0) face Sam Houston State (2-2-0) at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Pritchett Field in Huntsville.
"We're getting opportunities, we're hitting crossbars, we're making goalkeepers have to make fantastic saves. In the past, where we've had opportunities, maybe they haven't been great opportunities. Maybe we're 60 yards over the bar, 50 miles wide of the ball. We're putting quality opportunities on frame where goalkeepers are having to step up and make saves."
The Bears opened at home with 2-1 losses to South Florida and Michigan State before dropping a pair of games to Purdue (2-1) and Indiana (1-0, OT) at last weekend's Boilermaker Challenge Cup in West Lafayette, Ind.
"Of all the years we've been here, this is the four toughest teams we've played right off the bat," Jobson said. "And these girls know that. They know where they are with these teams. You walk away from a game losing, but you realize that we could just as easily be 4-0 as 0-4 right now."
Sam Houston opened with wins over UL-Lafayette (1-0) and UTSA (2-1, OT) before dropping a pair of neutral-site matchups against Florida Atlantic and Rice by identical 1-0 scores. Goalkeeper Kyle Hambleton has made 15 saves and posted a 1.33 goals-against average.
The Bears are 2-0 all-time against the Bearkats, including a 3-0 win four years ago in Waco.
Baylor caps off the weekend and a four-game road stretch with a 1 p.m. matchup against Incarnate Word (2-2-0) at Gayle & Tom Benson Stadium in San Antonio, Texas. The Cardinals have posted wins over UT Rio Grande Valley and South Carolina State and lost a pair of games last weekend to North Texas and Prairie View A&M.
"We said before the season, we're going to approach every game the same way. I don't care who we're playing," Jobson said. "Sometimes, these games are tougher, because now you're the team with the target on your back. You're the power-5 conference, you are Baylor, you are Big, and these teams have something to prove. . . . It's not an easy environment. The great thing is our veterans get that, and they can help out with the young players."
MATCH INFO
Fri., Sept. 4 at SHSU @ 6:30 p.m.
Pritchett Field (2,100)
Stats: www.GoBearkats.com
Audio/Video: N/A
Sun., Sept. 6 at UIW @ 1:00 p.m.
Gayle & Tom Benson Stadium (6,000)
Stats: www.CardinalAthletics.com
Video: www.CardinalAthletics.com
BAYLOR BEARS
2015 Record: 0-4-0
2015 Big 12 Record: 0-0-0
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 0-4-0 (1st season)
BU: 0-4-0 (1st season)
SAM HOUSTON STATE BEARKATS
2015 Record: 2-2-0
2015 Southland: 0-0-0
Head Coach: Tom Brown
Career: 201-211-39 (23rd season)
SHSU: 63-71-9 (8th season)
INCARNATE WORD CARDINALS
2015 Record: 2-2-0
2015 Southland: 0-0-0
Head Coach: Anne Felts
Career: 4-15-3 (2nd season)
UIW: 4-15-3 (2nd season)
BAYLOR QUICK NOTES
* Baylor holds edges over its 2015 opponents in shots (49-32) and shots on goal (18-13) but trails in goals (7-3) and corner kicks (23-11).
* Baylor has lost all four matches in 2015 by one goal and two losses have come in overtime (one in double OT).
* Baylor has held edges in shots and shots on goal in three of its four matches this season (Purdue is only exception as teams tied in shots).
* Baylor made its first appearance in the 15th Boilermaker Challenge Cup, hosted by Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., at Boilermaker Soccer Complex last weekend. BU lost 2-1 to Purdue and 1-0 to Indiana in overtime.
* Senior Bri Campos was named to the 2015 Boilermaker Challenge Cup all-tournament team Aug. 30.
* Freshmen Julie James and Sarah King combined for their first collegiate points as James notched her first assist to set up King for her first goal Aug. 28 at Purdue.
* Baylor has 35 shutouts over the last three seasons (nine in 2014).
* Baylor is 20-2-1 when scoring first since 2013.
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