No. 21 SOC Hits the Road to Face Drake, Nebraska

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            This might not be an exact reenactment of Planes, Trains & Automobiles,but the 21^st-ranked Baylor soccer team (1-0-0) will spend the next 12 days on the road together with four games in four different states.
            The Bears head to Des Moines, Iowa, first for a matchup against Drake (0-2-0) at 7 p.m. CDT Friday, then play former Big 12 rival Nebraska (0-1-0) at 7 p.m. Sunday in Lincoln, Neb.
            After a stopover in Colorado Springs, Colo., for a couple days of training at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Baylor wraps up the extended road trip with games against Wyoming (1-0-2) at 5 p.m. the following Friday, Sept. 6, in Laramie, and then Colorado (2-0-0) at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8.
            "There's something about road trips that are bonding," said head coach Paul Jobson, who needs two more wins to break the program record set by his wife, Marci Jobson. "It's just an opportunity for us to get on the road together and some time together. And with the amount of time we have, we'll be able to do some special things, too, while we're on the road for team bonding and just to enjoy ourselves while we're gone."
            And no one will be left behind. With a smaller roster of 22 players, even injured freshman midfielder Madeline Bryant, made the trip.
            "That helps team chemistry a ton," said senior forward Halee Sowinski. "We've already been together a lot during preseason so far, but just being on the road away from everybody else helps us just bring together the core unit of who we are and what we do. We can really focus on soccer and each other and just pour into each other."
            Because of the smaller roster, Jobson said the team chemistry off the field is already great. "But on the field, we've got a lot of new players and players in new positions."
            "That back-line chemistry with our midfielders has got to continue to strengthen, which it will just through experience. So, that's what we're looking to continue to get better is just that consistency on the field."
            That lack of consistency and communication showed in Sunday's 4-2 season-opening win over Northwestern State, when the Bears gave up four shots in the first 15 minutes and then a pair of late goals to the Lady Demons.
            "That's just going to come from team chemistry, learning how to play with each other," senior defender Danielle Hayden said. "It really is a completely different team, so the more experience we can get together the more we can prepare for down the line. We're still going to make mistakes, but as long as we can limit them, when we get to conference play and tournament play we'll be good. We'll have all the little mistakes out of the way and be together as one unit."
            In addition to playing four games in 11 days, the team will visit the Manitou Incline and Garden of the Gods while the Bears are in Colorado Springs.
            "We're always together during soccer," Hayden said. "So, it's cool just to get away from soccer a little bit, have conversations about school and life and do fun activities and just hang out together. And just getting to know the freshmen, that will be huge, because we don't really know them that well yet."
            Including a pair of Power 5 opponents in Nebraska and Colorado, the four games in 11 days on the road is a big step up from hosting Northwestern State.
            "Those four matches, we're looking at really tough, competitive teams," Jobson said. "No longer are we expected to be the underdog, so now we have targets on our back. We know we're going to get everybody's best match, and it's at their place, it's their home matches. I'm sure they're going to have great crowds. They're great circumstances that are really going to prepare us for conference play."
            Junior goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt, sophomore defender Kayley Ables and sophomore forward Taylor Moon, who all missed the season opener, are all close to being back on the field.
            "It's kind of a day-to-day thing, making slow progress," Jobson said. "The success of one day leads to what they can do to the next."
Baylor's next home match will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, against Arkansas (1-1-0). The Razorbacks have already faced a pair of Big 12 opponents, tying Kansas State, 3-3, in an exhibition match and losing to Oklahoma in double overtime, 2-1.

WACO, Texas – No. 21 Baylor Soccer makes its first road trip of the season with matches against Drake and Nebraska on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

This begins an 11-day road trip for the Bears as they will travel to Colorado Springs to train at the Air Force Academy for a few days before two more road matches at Wyoming and Colorado next weekend.

Baylor is coming off a 4-2 win over Northwestern State on Sunday. Meanwhile, Drake and Nebraska are each looking for their first wins of the season. Friday's contest at Drake will be the Bulldogs' home opener as they spent last weekend in the state of Colorado, falling to Colorado and Denver.

Nebraska opened up its season with a 4-0 loss at Kansas. The Huskers will host Clemson on Friday before taking on Baylor at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Friday's contest will be aired on ESPN+, while Sunday's match can be found on BTNPlus.com.

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).

MATCH INFO
Friday, Aug. 30 at Drake at 7 p.m.
James W. Cownie Soccer Park
Stats: https://baylorbea.rs/2ZtjcsS
Video: ESPN+

MATCH INFO
Sunday, Sept. 1 at Nebraska at 7 p.m.
Hibner Stadium
Stats: https://baylorbea.rs/2ZjmaF9
Video: BTNPlus.com ($)

BAYLOR BEARS
2019 Record: 1-0
2019 Big 12 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 77-39-14 (7th season)
BU: 77-39-14 (7th season)

DRAKE BULLDOGS
2019 Record: 0-2
2019 MVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Lindsey Horner
Career: 96-90-29 (12th season)
DU: 96-90-29 (12th season)

NEBRASKA HUSKERS
2019 Record: 0-1
2019 Big Ten Record: 0-0
Head Coach: John Walker
Career: 327-159-44 (26th season)
NU: 327-159-44 (26th season)

BAYLOR QUICK NOTES

BU head coach Paul Jobson has 77 career wins. He is one win shy of tying the program-record holder - his wife, Marci (78, 2008-14).
Baylor has won 15-straight matches at home, dating back to Nov. 10, 2017.
Baylor moved to 16-6-1 all-time in season openers with the win over Northwestern State on Sunday. Under the Jobsons, BU is 8-3-1 in season openers.
Six Bears made their Baylor debuts over the weekend - junior transfer Eva Mitchell, along with freshmen Tara Sumer, Elizabeth Kooiman, Maya Bellomo, Marissa Gray and Michaela Gorman.
Baylor scored four goals in the win over the Lady Demons which marked the most goals scored by the Bears since they scored six vs. Nebraska on Sept. 2, 2018.
Baylor was selected second in the Big 12 Soccer Preseason Poll, the highest preseason ranking in program history. WVU took the top spot by a slim margin of three points.
BU landed at No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. It marked the fourth time in program history (1999, 2013, 2018, 2019) that the Bears received a spot in the rankings.
Sophomore defender Kayley Ables was the lone Bear to be named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Ables recorded the most minutes of any BU freshman with 2,017 as she started every match she played. The Waco native was one of four 2018 Big 12 All-Freshman Team honorees to be voted on the preseason list.
Jennifer Wandt returns for her junior campaign after a stellar sophomore season. The goalkeeper recorded 12 solo shutouts a year ago, good for second in the Big 12 and fourth in the nation. She now sits at No. 2 on Baylor's career shutouts list (21) and has already set the program record for most in a single season.
Camryn Wendlandt looks to build off a junior season that saw her become the first Bear to reach double-digit goals (10) since 2012.
Baylor returns 15 letterwinners, including eight starters, from last year's Big 12 regular season championship team.

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No. 21 SOC Hits the Road to Face Drake, Nebraska

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Players Mentioned

Kayley Ables

Maya Bellomo

Madeline Bryant

Michaela Gorman

Marissa Gray

Danielle Hayden

Elizabeth Kooiman

Eva Mitchell

Taylor Moon

Halee Sowinski

Tara Sumer

Jennifer Wandt

Camryn Wendlandt

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