SOC Set to Face Florida, No. 1 North Carolina

BAYLOR VS FLORIDA
Thursday, Aug. 25 at 4 p.m.
Austin, Texas
Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field
Video: Longhorn Network

BAYLOR VS NORTH CAROLINA
Sunday, Aug. 28 at 12 p.m.
Austin, Texas
Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field
Video: Longhorn Network

BAYLOR BEARS
2022 Record: 0-1-1
Head Coach: Michelle Lenard (North Texas, 2003)
Career Record: 201-76-26 (15th season)
BU Record: 0-1-1 (1st season)

FLORIDA GATORS
2022 Record: 1-1-0
Head Coach: Samantha Bohon (Duke, 1994)
Career Record: 168-77-17 (15th season)
Florida Record: 1-1-0 (1st season)

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
2022 Record: 2-0-0
Head Coach: Anson Dorrance (North Carolina, 1974)
Career Record: 903-81-44 (44th season)
North Carolina Record: 903-81-44 (44th season)

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Trying to implement a new system with 15 newcomers and an all-new coaching staff, Baylor soccer (0-1-1) is facing a schedule that's unforgiving.
            Coming off an opening week that saw the Bears tie Minnesota, 1-1, and fall to Wisconsin, 2-0, BU makes the short trek down I-35 to Austin to face Florida (1-1-0) at 4 p.m. Thursday and No. 1-ranked North Carolina (2-0-0) at 12 p.m. Sunday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
            "We're trying to combine our old, aggressive style with a new possession-based style," junior forward Olivia Mack said. "And I think we learned, you can't give or take in either area. You can't just play possession and hold back on the attacking, aggressive mentality. We're just learning how to combine both. Just being that Baylor attack, but also being able to be calm and play out of the back and hold possession."
            After combining for five goals in exhibition wins over LSU and UTSA, the Bears' only goal of the opening weekend of regular-season play was sophomore Haven Terry's game-tying shot in the last 12 minutes against Minnesota.
            "We're creating chances, we are," first-year head coach Michelle Lenard said. "It may not be showing up on the scoreboard, but it's showing up on our stats afterwards. Now, we just need to convert those opportunities on goal and be a little more stingy on defense. . . I think we're there, it's just a matter of converting."
            Through the first two games, Lenard has used 23 of her 34 players, including 11 of the 15 newcomers. Still out with injuries are Taylor Moon and Mackenzie Anthony, the two leading scorers a year ago, and freshmen Morgan Greensage and Reneta Vargas.
            "We're still pretty banged-up and don't have everybody available off the bench," Lenard said. "Now that we're getting into the rhythm of the season, hopefully we'll get a few more players back of the next couple weeks."
            Lenard has also shuffled players around, with Mack playing center forward for the first time since club soccer and junior Sarah Hornyak playing more at midfield and forward after starting every game the last two years on the backline.
            "It's definitely been some getting used to, for sure," Hornyak said. "Last year, it was coming in and being used as a 90-minute player. I've just told the coaching staff that I can play anywhere and I want to be reliable for this team. My mindset now is whenever I'm on the field is just trying to make the most of my minutes."
            The goalkeepers have also rotated, with junior Lauren Traywick seeing her first collegiate game action against Minnesota and then Texas Tech transfer Madison Martin getting the start against Wisconsin and coming up big with four second-half saves.
            "We asked Madison to play short and to play out of the back, and she did," Lenard said. "We knew that an error was possible. And right now, at this point in the season we need to take those risks. . . . Now, it's just a matter of understanding when to play out, when to take less risks. And that's true for all of our backline right now. It's just finding that balance."
            Florida, under first-year head coach Samantha Bohon, is off to a 1-1 start with a 3-0 loss to 23^rd-ranked UCF and a 3-0 win on Sunday over Stetson. Like Lenard, Bohon is coming from the NCAA Division II ranks, leading Embry-Riddle to back-to-back playoff appearances.
            "She's going to have an organized team, they're going to be highly motivated, I think the chemistry will be good for them," Lenard said of the Gators. "Overall, I think we've got a little bit more to work with, so we feel that we should be able to put together a good attack and hopefully convert some goals. . . . We want to make the adjustments from the last game and see if we can get a positive result."
            After facing a first-year coach on Thursday, the Bears draw top-ranked North Carolina and legendary coach Anson Dorrance in Sunday's 12 p.m. game. The only coach in the women's program's 44-year history, Dorrance has won 21 national championships and more than 900 games.
            The Tar Heels moved from 10^th to No. 1 in the latest coaches' poll after beating then-No. 11 Tennessee, 3-0, and UNC-Wilmington, 2-0.
            "I think it's going to be really exciting, because I feel like we always step up against huge opponents," Mack said. "No nervousness or anything, just ready to get out there and see how we do against these top teams, because you never know until you play them."
            This is Baylor soccer's first matchup against a No. 1-ranked team since an eventual Big 12 championship team lost to UNC, 5-0, on Sept. 27, 1998. The last two matchups against the Tar Heels came in the NCAA Tournament, with the Bears losing 5-0 in second-round matchup in 2011 and losing a penalty kick shootout, 4-2, after a 1-1 draw in the Round of 16 against the eventual national champions in 2012.
            "Obviously a great team with a lot of depth. It'll be a great challenge for us," Lenard said. "We need to be able to compete with the best teams in the country, so we really look forward to the opportunity to do that."
            Both games this weekend will be broadcast by the Longhorn Network, with live stats available at texassports.com.

STORY LINES

Baylor will head on the road for the first time this season to take on Florida Thursday, and No. 1 ranked North Carolina Sunday in Austin, Texas. The University of Texas will host the contests as a neutral site location.
This is the first time since 1998 that the Bears have faced a No.1 ranked team. That team was none other than North Carolina, and BU fell in the match, 5-0.
In the all-time records, Baylor and Florida have never met on the pitch, while BU and UNC have met three previous times for an overall record of 0-2-1. The Bears last matchup with the Tar Heels was November 18, 2012, which resulted in a 1-1 tie after double overtime.
The 2022 season marks the 26th season of the Baylor Soccer program.
BU opened its season at home, facing Big 10 foes Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Minnesota struck first in the first match last week, scoring in the 52nd minute to go up 1-0 on the Bears. Not letting up, Baylor scored the equalizing goal in the 79th minute from the boot of Haven Terry, with freshman Skye Leach recording the assist.
Against Wisconsin, Baylor finished with a 14-12 edge in shots, including 10 on goal but 35 seconds was all it took for the Badgers to score two goals and come away with the win.
Splitting time in goal over the last week were Lauren Traywick and Madison Martin. Traywick started in goal against Minnesota, playing all 90 minutes and recording four saves. Martin started against Wisconsin, playing all 90 minutes and recording five saves.
Baylor has a 34 person roster this season and features 19 returners and 15 newcomers.
Of Baylor's 15 newcomers, 11 of them played in the first two games of the season for the Bears: Skye Leach, Hallie Augustyn, Hannah Augustyn, Micah Beasley, Trinity Egerton, Kylie Finney, Annika Fredell, Madison Martin, Ashley Merrill, Blythe Obar and Jenna Patterson.
Baylor starters through the first two games of the season were freshman twins Hallie and Hannah Augustyn, fifth-year seniors Kayley Ables and Maddie Algya, defender Ava Colberg, all three DBU transfers, Blythe Obar, Ashley Merrill and Jenna Patterson, forwards Haven Terry, Elizabeth Kooiman and Olivia Mack and goalkeepers Madison Martin and Lauren Traywick.
The NCAA has done away with overtime during the regular season this year, meaning that every game will end at the end of the 90-minute regulation time.
Kayley Ables was the lone Baylor player named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. A fifth-year senior for the program, she has been a key component to the Baylor backline, aka the "No-Goal Patrol."
Taylor Moon was named a preseason Forward to Watch this season by United Soccer Coaches.
With coach Lenard's new playing philosophy, BU defeated both LSU (3-1) and UTSA (2-1) in preseason exhibition matches with five different Baylor players scoring goals.

- BaylorBears.com -

SOC Set to Face Florida, No. 1 North Carolina

Players Mentioned

Kayley Ables

Maddie Algya

Mackenzie Anthony

Hallie Augustyn

Hannah Augustyn

Micah Beasley

Ava Colberg

Trinity Egerton

Kylie Finney

Annika Fredell

Morgan Greensage

Sarah Hornyak

Elizabeth Kooiman

Skye Leach

Olivia Mack

Madison Martin

Ashley Merrill

Taylor Moon

Blythe Obar

Jenna Patterson

Haven Terry

Lauren Traywick

Reneta Vargas

Footer