Thursday, August 19
Minneapolis, MN
6 PM
Baylor
at
Minnesota
Jobson Has Options Across the Board Going into 2021
8/18/2021 11:01:00 AM | Soccer
Bears to face Minnesota, North Dakota State to begin season
BAYLOR AT MINNESOTA
Thursday, Aug. 19 at 6 p.m.
Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Video: BTN+
BAYLOR AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Sunday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m.
Dacotah Field
Video: gobison.com
BAYLOR BEARS
2021 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 89-52-20 (9th season)
BU: 89-52-20 (9th season)
MINNESOTA GOPHERS
2021 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Erin Chastain
Career: 119-113-34 (15th season)
Minnesota: 0-0-0 (1st season)
NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON
2021 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Mike Regan
Career: 24-22-4 (4th season)
North Dakota State: 24-22-4 (4th season)
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Whether it's scoring goals, defending between the pipes or being part of the backline's "No Goal Patrol," Paul Jobson has more options than he's ever had in his 13 years in Waco and the previous eight seasons as Baylor soccer's head coach.
After going 5-5-3 in a COVID-affected 2020-21 season, the Bears "showed back up Day One here, proving that they want to be a championship-type team," Jobson said.
"I don't know how the season is going to go, and I'm not projecting anything, but we have not had a preseason like this in my career," he said, "where every session the group has shown up ready to compete. Usually, you have at least one session where you bring the team up and you're like, 'Hey, this isn't good enough. We've got to get after this.' I've not had to do that one time this preseason."
In the 25th anniversary of the Baylor soccer program's debut season, the Bears will open with a Midwest road trip, facing Minnesota at 6 p.m. Thursday and North Dakota State at 1 p.m. Sunday.
"This will be a good bonding trip for us just to start off the season, all together," said fifth-year senior Ally Henderson-Ashkinos, who married former Baylor baseball pitcher Jacob Ashkinos this summer. "I don't want to jinx it, but we're hoping it's a little cooler up there, so we're excited for a little break there, potentially. And we're pumped for the freshmen to get to experience a true road trip right off the bat."
Henderson-Ashkinos, tied for eighth in program history with 13 career assists, is part of an experienced midfield crew that includes fellow seniors Maddie Algya and Guiliana Cunningham and sophomore Gabby Mueller.
That doesn't even factor in potentially using defenders Chloe Japic and Sarah Hornyak in their "natural position" as midfielders.
"In the exhibitions, we had Chloe in the midfield some because now we've got some depth in the back with the young kids coming in who have really stepped up," Jobson said. "If we can get (Japic) in the midfield, we will, because she is more attack-minded, and I think she can score some goals. But, she's so solid for us right now defensively that we can't sacrifice that yet."
The Bears had to start a pair of freshmen in the backline last year, with Japic and Hornyak joining veterans Kayley Ables and Sarah Norman "out of necessity," Jobson said. This year, freshman Ava Colberg is starting at right back and freshman Katie Zimmerman "has shown up really well in the exhibition phase of our season," Jobson said.
"I know last year we had two freshmen start in the back," Jobson said. "But, to have a kid come in with a better back line and put her back there is really a big deal. We're always solid defensively, but for once in the last two years we also have some depth. If someone goes down, we're not in a world of hurt."
That includes the goalkeeper position as well. Fifth-year senior Jennifer Wandt, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, set Baylor's school record last season and ranks tied for fourth in Big 12 history with 32 career shutouts. But, the Bears also brought in grad transfer Alyssa Navarrette from Georgetown and have promising sophomore Lauren Traywick waiting in the wings.
"It's a nice problem to have," Jobson said. "We have three goalkeepers that can play just about anywhere. They're all solid. We've never had that problem, but it's a nice problem to have as a coach. The rest of the team sees it, too. Knock on wood, if something happens to Jen, we're in a really good place."
That depth also frees up Wandt, "because there's a part of her in the past that felt like she had to be careful because we're not as deep in the goalkeeper position," Jobson said. "Now that we are, I think we see a whole 'nother level of Jen."
The frontline is led by senior forward Taylor Moon, a preseason All-Big 12 pick who netted a team-best six goals last season and added a hat trick in the 5-0 exhibition win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
But, there's an abundance of scoring threats at the forward positions with junior Elizabeth Kooiman, sophomores Mackenzie Anthony and Olivia Mack and even freshman Haven Terry.
"She has pleasantly surprised us," Jobson said of Terry, a 5-11 freshman from Missouri City, Texas. "We knew she was going to be a good player quickly, but you never know with freshmen. While she hasn't scored goals yet, she is going to score goals when she figures out the little nuances at this level."
Last year, Moon (6) and Henderson (3) scored over half of the team's 16 goals. But now, Jobson is confident that the team has threats all over the field.
"I don't think we're going to have that one person where if she doesn't score, we're not going to win," Jobson said. "I think we'll have a lot of diversity up there as far as who can score goals. You're way more dangerous to your opponent than when it's 'Hey, let's shut down Taylor Moon, and we've got 'em.' If they shut down Taylor Moon, then you've got some other problems across the front line and into the midfield."
Minnesota is led by first-year head coach Erin Chastain, who was 119-113-34 in 14 seasons at DePaul, while Mike Regan is going into his fourth season at North Dakota State.
"Erin's in her first year there, but she's a quality coach. I've known her for a long time," Jobson said. "She's going to have a lot of energy in that group, and they'll be ready to compete right away."
Thursday's game at Elizabeth Lyles Robbie Stadium in Minneapolis will be streamed on BTN+, while Sunday's game in Fargo, N.D., can be seen at gobison.com/watch.
STORY LINES
• Baylor opens its 2021 season on the road with a match at Minnesota on Thursday before continuing to North Dakota to wrap things up on Sunday. This is the first time since 2016 - and only eighth time in program history that the Bears begin a season away from home.
• BU is 16-6-2 all-time in season openers. The last time the Bears won on the road to start a season was at Detroit on Aug. 19, 2016, when Baylor won, 2-0.
• The 2021 season marks the 25th anniversary of the Baylor Soccer program. To celebrate, BU unveiled an updated crest for the season.
• The Bears return close to their whole roster from the 2020 season that featured plenty of twists and turns along the way due to COVID-19. Every starter returns for BU to give the Bears plenty of experience across the field.
• Adding to that experience is a talented group of freshmen as Baylor welcomes six for the 2021 season in addition to a graduate transfer in goalkeeper Alyssa Navarrete from Georgetown.
• Baylor finished the conference slate of 2020 tied for fourth place in the league with a 3-3-3 record. Six of those results were shutouts by BU's "No Goal Patrol." The Bears opened the season tying eventual Big 12 champ TCU, the lone team to not be defeated by the Horned Frogs in league play. A month later, Baylor shut out No. 4 Oklahoma State in double overtime before following that up with the first win over a top-five program (2-0 over No. 5 Kansas) since the Bears defeated Texas A&M, 2-1, in overtime on Oct. 12, 1997.
• Fifth-year senior Jennifer Wandt returns between the pipes for the Bears. The Brookfield, Wisc., native became the program's all-time leader in career shutouts with 32 as she posted seven clean sheets a season ago. Wandt is tied with Melanie Wilson (Texas A&M, 1996-99) for fourth in Big 12 history. Additionally, Wandt is third in program history with 257 career saves, second in goalkeeper minutes played at 7.055 and second with 44 career wins.
• Another fifth-year senior for Baylor is Ally Henderson-Ashkinos, who married former Baylor pitcher Jacob Ashkinos in July 2021. Henderson-Ashkinos is tied for eighth in program history with 13 career assists. The Wichita, Kan., native is also fifth in program history with 6,294 career minutes played.
• Joining Wandt on this year's Preseason All-Big 12 team is Taylor Moon. Moon led the attack for BU a year ago with six goals. Half of them came against Louisiana on March 27. That marked the 19th hat trick in Baylor history and the first since Elizabeth Kooiman's against West Virginia in 2019.
• Moon netted another hat trick on Aug. 12 in Baylor's first exhibition of the preseason against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. It took her a total of 13 minutes to score three goals.
• Joining Moon on the front line for Baylor this season are Mackenzie Anthony, Elizabeth Kooiman, Olivia Mack and Haven Terry. Anthony had a pair of goals last year, while Kooiman netted her lone goal of the season at WVU and Mack had the golden goal against Oklahoma to wrap up fall action. Terry, a freshman from Missouri City, Texas, will see plenty of time for the Bears.
• Familiar faces in Henderson-Ashkinos and Maddie Algya hold things down in the midfield for Baylor. Joining them in the middle will be Gabby Mueller, Brooklyn Kouns and Giuliana Cunningham. Henderson-Ashkinos turned into a goal-scoring machine with three goals in the spring with Algya and Mueller capable of finding the back of the net from outside the box.
• The heralded Baylor backline, aka the "No Goal Patrol" has added depth to the experience that returns in Sarah Norman, Kayley Ables, Chloe Japic and Sarah Hornyak. Mix in the speed of Ava Colberg and the play of Kate Zimmerman - both are freshmen - and the Baylor line of defense is even stronger.
Thursday, Aug. 19 at 6 p.m.
Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Video: BTN+
BAYLOR AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Sunday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m.
Dacotah Field
Video: gobison.com
BAYLOR BEARS
2021 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 89-52-20 (9th season)
BU: 89-52-20 (9th season)
MINNESOTA GOPHERS
2021 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Erin Chastain
Career: 119-113-34 (15th season)
Minnesota: 0-0-0 (1st season)
NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON
2021 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Mike Regan
Career: 24-22-4 (4th season)
North Dakota State: 24-22-4 (4th season)
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Whether it's scoring goals, defending between the pipes or being part of the backline's "No Goal Patrol," Paul Jobson has more options than he's ever had in his 13 years in Waco and the previous eight seasons as Baylor soccer's head coach.
After going 5-5-3 in a COVID-affected 2020-21 season, the Bears "showed back up Day One here, proving that they want to be a championship-type team," Jobson said.
"I don't know how the season is going to go, and I'm not projecting anything, but we have not had a preseason like this in my career," he said, "where every session the group has shown up ready to compete. Usually, you have at least one session where you bring the team up and you're like, 'Hey, this isn't good enough. We've got to get after this.' I've not had to do that one time this preseason."
In the 25th anniversary of the Baylor soccer program's debut season, the Bears will open with a Midwest road trip, facing Minnesota at 6 p.m. Thursday and North Dakota State at 1 p.m. Sunday.
"This will be a good bonding trip for us just to start off the season, all together," said fifth-year senior Ally Henderson-Ashkinos, who married former Baylor baseball pitcher Jacob Ashkinos this summer. "I don't want to jinx it, but we're hoping it's a little cooler up there, so we're excited for a little break there, potentially. And we're pumped for the freshmen to get to experience a true road trip right off the bat."
Henderson-Ashkinos, tied for eighth in program history with 13 career assists, is part of an experienced midfield crew that includes fellow seniors Maddie Algya and Guiliana Cunningham and sophomore Gabby Mueller.
That doesn't even factor in potentially using defenders Chloe Japic and Sarah Hornyak in their "natural position" as midfielders.
"In the exhibitions, we had Chloe in the midfield some because now we've got some depth in the back with the young kids coming in who have really stepped up," Jobson said. "If we can get (Japic) in the midfield, we will, because she is more attack-minded, and I think she can score some goals. But, she's so solid for us right now defensively that we can't sacrifice that yet."
The Bears had to start a pair of freshmen in the backline last year, with Japic and Hornyak joining veterans Kayley Ables and Sarah Norman "out of necessity," Jobson said. This year, freshman Ava Colberg is starting at right back and freshman Katie Zimmerman "has shown up really well in the exhibition phase of our season," Jobson said.
"I know last year we had two freshmen start in the back," Jobson said. "But, to have a kid come in with a better back line and put her back there is really a big deal. We're always solid defensively, but for once in the last two years we also have some depth. If someone goes down, we're not in a world of hurt."
That includes the goalkeeper position as well. Fifth-year senior Jennifer Wandt, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, set Baylor's school record last season and ranks tied for fourth in Big 12 history with 32 career shutouts. But, the Bears also brought in grad transfer Alyssa Navarrette from Georgetown and have promising sophomore Lauren Traywick waiting in the wings.
"It's a nice problem to have," Jobson said. "We have three goalkeepers that can play just about anywhere. They're all solid. We've never had that problem, but it's a nice problem to have as a coach. The rest of the team sees it, too. Knock on wood, if something happens to Jen, we're in a really good place."
That depth also frees up Wandt, "because there's a part of her in the past that felt like she had to be careful because we're not as deep in the goalkeeper position," Jobson said. "Now that we are, I think we see a whole 'nother level of Jen."
The frontline is led by senior forward Taylor Moon, a preseason All-Big 12 pick who netted a team-best six goals last season and added a hat trick in the 5-0 exhibition win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
But, there's an abundance of scoring threats at the forward positions with junior Elizabeth Kooiman, sophomores Mackenzie Anthony and Olivia Mack and even freshman Haven Terry.
"She has pleasantly surprised us," Jobson said of Terry, a 5-11 freshman from Missouri City, Texas. "We knew she was going to be a good player quickly, but you never know with freshmen. While she hasn't scored goals yet, she is going to score goals when she figures out the little nuances at this level."
Last year, Moon (6) and Henderson (3) scored over half of the team's 16 goals. But now, Jobson is confident that the team has threats all over the field.
"I don't think we're going to have that one person where if she doesn't score, we're not going to win," Jobson said. "I think we'll have a lot of diversity up there as far as who can score goals. You're way more dangerous to your opponent than when it's 'Hey, let's shut down Taylor Moon, and we've got 'em.' If they shut down Taylor Moon, then you've got some other problems across the front line and into the midfield."
Minnesota is led by first-year head coach Erin Chastain, who was 119-113-34 in 14 seasons at DePaul, while Mike Regan is going into his fourth season at North Dakota State.
"Erin's in her first year there, but she's a quality coach. I've known her for a long time," Jobson said. "She's going to have a lot of energy in that group, and they'll be ready to compete right away."
Thursday's game at Elizabeth Lyles Robbie Stadium in Minneapolis will be streamed on BTN+, while Sunday's game in Fargo, N.D., can be seen at gobison.com/watch.
STORY LINES
• Baylor opens its 2021 season on the road with a match at Minnesota on Thursday before continuing to North Dakota to wrap things up on Sunday. This is the first time since 2016 - and only eighth time in program history that the Bears begin a season away from home.
• BU is 16-6-2 all-time in season openers. The last time the Bears won on the road to start a season was at Detroit on Aug. 19, 2016, when Baylor won, 2-0.
• The 2021 season marks the 25th anniversary of the Baylor Soccer program. To celebrate, BU unveiled an updated crest for the season.
• The Bears return close to their whole roster from the 2020 season that featured plenty of twists and turns along the way due to COVID-19. Every starter returns for BU to give the Bears plenty of experience across the field.
• Adding to that experience is a talented group of freshmen as Baylor welcomes six for the 2021 season in addition to a graduate transfer in goalkeeper Alyssa Navarrete from Georgetown.
• Baylor finished the conference slate of 2020 tied for fourth place in the league with a 3-3-3 record. Six of those results were shutouts by BU's "No Goal Patrol." The Bears opened the season tying eventual Big 12 champ TCU, the lone team to not be defeated by the Horned Frogs in league play. A month later, Baylor shut out No. 4 Oklahoma State in double overtime before following that up with the first win over a top-five program (2-0 over No. 5 Kansas) since the Bears defeated Texas A&M, 2-1, in overtime on Oct. 12, 1997.
• Fifth-year senior Jennifer Wandt returns between the pipes for the Bears. The Brookfield, Wisc., native became the program's all-time leader in career shutouts with 32 as she posted seven clean sheets a season ago. Wandt is tied with Melanie Wilson (Texas A&M, 1996-99) for fourth in Big 12 history. Additionally, Wandt is third in program history with 257 career saves, second in goalkeeper minutes played at 7.055 and second with 44 career wins.
• Another fifth-year senior for Baylor is Ally Henderson-Ashkinos, who married former Baylor pitcher Jacob Ashkinos in July 2021. Henderson-Ashkinos is tied for eighth in program history with 13 career assists. The Wichita, Kan., native is also fifth in program history with 6,294 career minutes played.
• Joining Wandt on this year's Preseason All-Big 12 team is Taylor Moon. Moon led the attack for BU a year ago with six goals. Half of them came against Louisiana on March 27. That marked the 19th hat trick in Baylor history and the first since Elizabeth Kooiman's against West Virginia in 2019.
• Moon netted another hat trick on Aug. 12 in Baylor's first exhibition of the preseason against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. It took her a total of 13 minutes to score three goals.
• Joining Moon on the front line for Baylor this season are Mackenzie Anthony, Elizabeth Kooiman, Olivia Mack and Haven Terry. Anthony had a pair of goals last year, while Kooiman netted her lone goal of the season at WVU and Mack had the golden goal against Oklahoma to wrap up fall action. Terry, a freshman from Missouri City, Texas, will see plenty of time for the Bears.
• Familiar faces in Henderson-Ashkinos and Maddie Algya hold things down in the midfield for Baylor. Joining them in the middle will be Gabby Mueller, Brooklyn Kouns and Giuliana Cunningham. Henderson-Ashkinos turned into a goal-scoring machine with three goals in the spring with Algya and Mueller capable of finding the back of the net from outside the box.
• The heralded Baylor backline, aka the "No Goal Patrol" has added depth to the experience that returns in Sarah Norman, Kayley Ables, Chloe Japic and Sarah Hornyak. Mix in the speed of Ava Colberg and the play of Kate Zimmerman - both are freshmen - and the Baylor line of defense is even stronger.
Players Mentioned
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MF
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F
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MF
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GK
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D
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