Thursday, October 3
Waco, TX
7 p.m.
Baylor
vs
West Virginia
Photo by: Baylor Photography
SOC Hosts West Virginia in Big 12 Home Opener
10/2/2019 12:35:00 PM | Soccer
Bears look for program’s first win over Mountaineers in Waco
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Nearly a year to the date of Baylor soccer handing West Virginia its first Big 12 loss at home, the Mountaineers (6-3-1, 1-0-0) make the return trip to Waco to face the Bears (5-3-3, 1-1-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
Between them, Baylor and West Virginia have won 12 of the 14 regular-season and tournament titles since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. They split them last year, with Baylor winning its second-ever regular-season title and the Mountaineers knocking off the Bears, 3-0, in the Big 12 Championship final.
Sophomore midfielder Guiliana Cunningham said last year's 1-0 overtime victory in Morgantown and Camryn Wendlandt's golden goal were "super exciting (for us) and definitely disappointing for them."
"I know they're going to be at it, but we're also out for blood since they beat us in the tournament," said Cunningham, who scored the golden goal in last Thursday's 1-0 overtime win at Kansas State. "It's definitely a fun rivalry . . . because the games are always so intense and fun. I think both teams are going to be going at it, regardless."
In a weekend trip to the Sunflower State, Baylor opened league play with the 1-0 OT win over Kansas State before falling 4-1 at 17th-ranked Kansas on Sunday. The Bears had a 10-1 edge in shots in the first half against the Jayhawks, but trailed 1-0 on the first of Mandi Duggan's two header goals and then gave up three second-half scores.
"I don't think I've ever walked away from a 4-1 loss thinking, 'Man, we could have won that game,''' Baylor coach Paul Jobson said. "It was just a crazy game, but Kansas was able to put away their opportunities and we weren't. . . . I think even the mistakes we made are fixable and addressable, and we've already addressed them."
Some of the issue at Kansas was a lack of communication on the back line as the Jayhawks scored on four of their five shots on goal. Baylor actually outshot the Jayhawks, 15-10, but the Bears' only goal was by freshman Michaela Gorman in the 86th minute.
"We have different people playing new positions, so people are still learning," sophomore forward Elena Reyna said. "And we also didn't capitalize when we had chances to score. It was a combination of that and just communicating."
Jobson said most problems can be solved before they happen, just by communicating. "I've always been a big fan of over-communicating on the field," he said.
"Some of it is just awareness and not ball-watching at times," he said. "So, it's communication and being aware of our surroundings and knowing that every game we play from here on out the teams are going to get better and better. Kansas was really good at taking advantage of some opportunities and tucking into some blind spots, which is great, because now those are things that we can address and move forward with it."
West Virginia won the Big 12 regular-season league title five years in a row before finishing second the last two years to Oklahoma State and Baylor. The Mountaineers opened league play last Friday with a 2-0 win over Iowa State, but they're winless on the road, falling 4-1 at sixth-ranked Virginia, 3-0 at then-No. 15 Georgetown and 3-1 in a neutral-site matchup with No. 3 Stanford.
"We beat them at their place last year, so we know there's a chip on their shoulder," Jobson said. "They're a fantastic team, they're well-coached. Nikki (Izzo-Brown) and her staff always do a great job, so we know they'll be ready, which motivates us even more to be ready ourselves."
With a rare weekend off after the West Virginia game, the Bears can "put it all out on the field" Thursday night, Reyna said.
"As a coach, you hope that everybody's focusing on one game at a time, but we know the second game of a weekend is always on the back of their minds and our minds," Jobson said. "Going into this weekend knowing that we've just got one match on Thursday and then a week off before the next match, there's that idea of 'Hey, just go ahead and empty your tanks. There's nothing to save it for.' . . . I know that's on their minds, and I know that's a freeing thing as well, so we're excited about having that opportunity."
Baylor goes on the road for its next two games at TCU and Oklahoma before returning home on Oct. 18 to host Texas and celebrate last year's Big 12 championship.
WACO, Texas – Baylor Soccer (5-3-3) is set to host perennial Big 12 favorite West Virginia (6-3-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field. The match will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
The Bears are coming off a 1-1 weekend in the Sunflower State with a win over Kansas State and a loss at then-No. 17 Kansas. The Mountaineers opened Big 12 play with a 2-0 win over Iowa State.
Baylor is 1-6-1 all-time against WVU, a series that began in 2012 when the Mountaineers joined the Big 12. The lone win came last season in Morgantown when Camryn Wendlandt netted the golden goal in the 95th minute off an assist by Sarah King. Jennifer Wandt recorded a career high nine saves for her seventh solo shutout of the 2018 season.
Get your tickets on BaylorBears.com/tickets or by calling 254-710-1000.
The Legacy Fund membership is an exclusive support club that enhances the Baylor Soccer program. Becoming a Legacy member allows you to get an insider look at Baylor soccer and to support the team in every aspect of the program's success. For more information on the Legacy Fund, visit baylorbears.com/bearfoundation or call 254-710-3197.
Keep up with the team all season long by following Baylor Soccer on the team's official Twitter (@BaylorFutbol), Facebook (Baylor Soccer), and Instagram (@BaylorFutbol).
ABOUT LAST WEEK
#SicEm
Baylor Bear Insider
Nearly a year to the date of Baylor soccer handing West Virginia its first Big 12 loss at home, the Mountaineers (6-3-1, 1-0-0) make the return trip to Waco to face the Bears (5-3-3, 1-1-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
Between them, Baylor and West Virginia have won 12 of the 14 regular-season and tournament titles since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. They split them last year, with Baylor winning its second-ever regular-season title and the Mountaineers knocking off the Bears, 3-0, in the Big 12 Championship final.
Sophomore midfielder Guiliana Cunningham said last year's 1-0 overtime victory in Morgantown and Camryn Wendlandt's golden goal were "super exciting (for us) and definitely disappointing for them."
"I know they're going to be at it, but we're also out for blood since they beat us in the tournament," said Cunningham, who scored the golden goal in last Thursday's 1-0 overtime win at Kansas State. "It's definitely a fun rivalry . . . because the games are always so intense and fun. I think both teams are going to be going at it, regardless."
In a weekend trip to the Sunflower State, Baylor opened league play with the 1-0 OT win over Kansas State before falling 4-1 at 17th-ranked Kansas on Sunday. The Bears had a 10-1 edge in shots in the first half against the Jayhawks, but trailed 1-0 on the first of Mandi Duggan's two header goals and then gave up three second-half scores.
"I don't think I've ever walked away from a 4-1 loss thinking, 'Man, we could have won that game,''' Baylor coach Paul Jobson said. "It was just a crazy game, but Kansas was able to put away their opportunities and we weren't. . . . I think even the mistakes we made are fixable and addressable, and we've already addressed them."
Some of the issue at Kansas was a lack of communication on the back line as the Jayhawks scored on four of their five shots on goal. Baylor actually outshot the Jayhawks, 15-10, but the Bears' only goal was by freshman Michaela Gorman in the 86th minute.
"We have different people playing new positions, so people are still learning," sophomore forward Elena Reyna said. "And we also didn't capitalize when we had chances to score. It was a combination of that and just communicating."
Jobson said most problems can be solved before they happen, just by communicating. "I've always been a big fan of over-communicating on the field," he said.
"Some of it is just awareness and not ball-watching at times," he said. "So, it's communication and being aware of our surroundings and knowing that every game we play from here on out the teams are going to get better and better. Kansas was really good at taking advantage of some opportunities and tucking into some blind spots, which is great, because now those are things that we can address and move forward with it."
West Virginia won the Big 12 regular-season league title five years in a row before finishing second the last two years to Oklahoma State and Baylor. The Mountaineers opened league play last Friday with a 2-0 win over Iowa State, but they're winless on the road, falling 4-1 at sixth-ranked Virginia, 3-0 at then-No. 15 Georgetown and 3-1 in a neutral-site matchup with No. 3 Stanford.
"We beat them at their place last year, so we know there's a chip on their shoulder," Jobson said. "They're a fantastic team, they're well-coached. Nikki (Izzo-Brown) and her staff always do a great job, so we know they'll be ready, which motivates us even more to be ready ourselves."
With a rare weekend off after the West Virginia game, the Bears can "put it all out on the field" Thursday night, Reyna said.
"As a coach, you hope that everybody's focusing on one game at a time, but we know the second game of a weekend is always on the back of their minds and our minds," Jobson said. "Going into this weekend knowing that we've just got one match on Thursday and then a week off before the next match, there's that idea of 'Hey, just go ahead and empty your tanks. There's nothing to save it for.' . . . I know that's on their minds, and I know that's a freeing thing as well, so we're excited about having that opportunity."
Baylor goes on the road for its next two games at TCU and Oklahoma before returning home on Oct. 18 to host Texas and celebrate last year's Big 12 championship.
WACO, Texas – Baylor Soccer (5-3-3) is set to host perennial Big 12 favorite West Virginia (6-3-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field. The match will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
The Bears are coming off a 1-1 weekend in the Sunflower State with a win over Kansas State and a loss at then-No. 17 Kansas. The Mountaineers opened Big 12 play with a 2-0 win over Iowa State.
Baylor is 1-6-1 all-time against WVU, a series that began in 2012 when the Mountaineers joined the Big 12. The lone win came last season in Morgantown when Camryn Wendlandt netted the golden goal in the 95th minute off an assist by Sarah King. Jennifer Wandt recorded a career high nine saves for her seventh solo shutout of the 2018 season.
Get your tickets on BaylorBears.com/tickets or by calling 254-710-1000.
The Legacy Fund membership is an exclusive support club that enhances the Baylor Soccer program. Becoming a Legacy member allows you to get an insider look at Baylor soccer and to support the team in every aspect of the program's success. For more information on the Legacy Fund, visit baylorbears.com/bearfoundation or call 254-710-3197.
Keep up with the team all season long by following Baylor Soccer on the team's official Twitter (@BaylorFutbol), Facebook (Baylor Soccer), and Instagram (@BaylorFutbol).
ABOUT LAST WEEK
- Baylor went 1-1 to open Big 12 play a week ago.
- The Bears recorded their first win in a Big 12 opener since 2015 with a 1-0 victory in double overtime at Kansas State.
- Marissa Gray made her first career start at Kansas State. She then logged a career high in minutes with 90 at Kansas.
- Michaela Gorman scored her second career goal at Kansas.
- Danielle Hayden, Sarah Norman, Jennifer Wandt and Ally Henderson played every minute over the weekend.
- The Mountaineers opened conference play with a 2-0 win over Iowa State last week.
- Since entering the Big 12 in 2012, WVU has won five regular-season titles.
- West Virginia leads its opponents 93-40 in shots this season. In the second half alone, WVU is outscoring its opponents, 13-4.
- Senior goalkeeper Rylee Foster is not second in the career shutouts list amongst active Division I players with 36. She's got five shutouts so far this year to lead the Big 12.
- Of the 25 Mountaineers on the 2019 roster, only nine of them are upperclassmen. WVU boasts 11 freshmen this year. West Virginia's top three scorers are all underclassmen - Julianne Vallerand 5, Alina Stahl 3, Nicole Payne 3.
- Baylor is 1-6-1 all-time vs. the Mountaineers in a series that started back in 2012 when WVU joined the Big 12.
- 11: Number of goals for BU that have come in the second half or overtime. Baylor has 15 goals in total this year.
- 7: Number of games remaining in the 2019 regular season. Four of them are at Betty Lou Mays.
- 6: Number of overtime matches the Bears have played so far. BU is 3-0-3 in those contests.
- 3: Consecutive games that Ally Henderson has recorded an assist. The junior midfielder now has four assists on the season.
- 2: Number of golden goals off corner kicks this season. Both corner kicks were by Henderson. Raegan Padgett got the goal vs. Gonzaga, and Giuliana Cunningham netted the game winner at Kansas State.
#SicEm
Players Mentioned
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