Thursday, September 28
Lawrence, Kan.
7 PM
Baylor
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Kansas
SOC Travels to Face Kansas, Kansas State
9/27/2023 8:26:00 AM | Soccer
Bears hit road for the first time since Sept. 3
BAYLOR vs. KANSAS
Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. CT
Rock Chalk Park
Video: Big 12 Now ESPN+
BAYLOR vs KANSAS STATE
Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. CT
Buser Family Park
Video: Big 12 Now ESPN+
BAYLOR (5-5-1)
Head Coach: Michelle Lenard (North Texas, 2003)
Career Record: 210-93-28 (16th season)
BU Record: 9-16-3 (2nd season)
KANSAS (3-3-5)
Head Coach: Mark Francis (SMU, 1987)
Career Record: 294-220-49 (28th season)
KU Record: 261-195-48 (25th season)
KANSAS STATE (2-6-3)
Head Coach: Mike Dibbini (Kan. Wesleyan, 1999)
Career Record: 55-93-24 (10th season)
KSU Record: 34-80-18 (8th season)
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
As much as Baylor soccer (5-5-1, 0-3-0) enjoys playing on its home turf at Betty Lou Mays Field, Michelle Lenard said there are "challenges we face at home that we don't face on the road."
Outscored 10-0 by top-25 teams in their first three conference games, the Bears go back on the road to the Sunflower State, facing Kansas (3-3-5, 0-2-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Lawrence and Kansas State (2-6-3, 0-2-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday in Manhattan.
"I'm glad to be back on the road, honestly," said Lenard, whose team was 2-4 in a six-game homestand that included losses to Texas, BYU and Texas Tech. "The players are more well-rested on the road, shockingly, because they're not up and going to class all day, walking around campus all day. . . . We're a little more able to manage their sleep and their diet and things that can help them be more productive on game day."
After scoring 17 goals in the first seven games – topping last year's season total – Baylor has netted just one in the last four games. Ashley Merrill scored a first-half goal in a 1-0 win over UTSA 11 days ago.
Kansas, coming off back-to-back 1-0 losses to Oklahoma State and Big 12 newcomer UCF, is a "high-pressing, physical team that can be really dangerous in counter-attack moments," Lenard said.
"We're going to have to play through their press and make sure we take care of the ball," she said. "We've made some mistakes in front of the goal here recently. We can't afford those types of mistakes against a high-pressing team. We have to be able to get on the ball and control the game more than we have in the last few games. But while doing that, we need to advance the ball up the field and find ways to score goals."
The Bears pulled out a 3-2 win over the Jayhawks last year in Waco, scoring two goals in the last 2 ½ minutes. Merrill headed in the game-tying goal in the 88th minute and then Reneta Vargas scored her second of the night with 37 seconds left off a corner kick by Haven Terry and an assist from Hallie Augustyn.
"We feel like they're going to come in wanting to maybe get some revenge from that," Lenard said. "So, we have to be prepared for that emotion that they're going to bring into the game. We just have to stay focused on one game at a time. And honestly, one half at a time. I'm hoping to put together 90 solid minutes. If we do that, I feel confident we'll get a good result."
Tied with Houston and Iowa State at the bottom of the Big 12 standings, a half-game back of Kansas and K-State, the Bears need to get that first conference win and start climbing up the ladder in a league that now has four ranked teams. BYU is sixth, followed by Texas Tech at 14th, UCF at No. 19 and Texas at 21st.
"I think it'd be a step in the right direction," senior defender Blythe Obar said. "I think once we get that first win, it's just uphill from there."
Baylor is 13-13-2 all-time against Kansas and 4-1-1 versus K-State, losing 2-1 last year in Waco.
"They're excited, and they feel like these are games we can win," Lenard said. "They know we need to go on the road and get points. If we come out flat, then I'd be shocked, because our team knows what we need right now."
After former Dallas Baptist transfer forward Jenna Patterson missed Sunday's 2-0 loss to Tech with an ankle injury, Lenard said her "hope and expectation is that she can play at least some minutes (on Thursday)."
"My ankle was really fat, really swollen, bruised," Patterson said. "I've been fortunate enough that I've been able to walk and I have a lot of range of motion. So, it's been really good. I did some passing and warmed up (Tuesday), so hopefully I can just keep getting the swelling out so I can actually play."
Kansas State, riding an eight-game winless streak, will play at TCU Thursday night before hosting the Bears Sunday afternoon. Both of Baylor's games will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
STORY LINES
Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. CT
Rock Chalk Park
Video: Big 12 Now ESPN+
BAYLOR vs KANSAS STATE
Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. CT
Buser Family Park
Video: Big 12 Now ESPN+
BAYLOR (5-5-1)
Head Coach: Michelle Lenard (North Texas, 2003)
Career Record: 210-93-28 (16th season)
BU Record: 9-16-3 (2nd season)
KANSAS (3-3-5)
Head Coach: Mark Francis (SMU, 1987)
Career Record: 294-220-49 (28th season)
KU Record: 261-195-48 (25th season)
KANSAS STATE (2-6-3)
Head Coach: Mike Dibbini (Kan. Wesleyan, 1999)
Career Record: 55-93-24 (10th season)
KSU Record: 34-80-18 (8th season)
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
As much as Baylor soccer (5-5-1, 0-3-0) enjoys playing on its home turf at Betty Lou Mays Field, Michelle Lenard said there are "challenges we face at home that we don't face on the road."
Outscored 10-0 by top-25 teams in their first three conference games, the Bears go back on the road to the Sunflower State, facing Kansas (3-3-5, 0-2-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Lawrence and Kansas State (2-6-3, 0-2-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday in Manhattan.
"I'm glad to be back on the road, honestly," said Lenard, whose team was 2-4 in a six-game homestand that included losses to Texas, BYU and Texas Tech. "The players are more well-rested on the road, shockingly, because they're not up and going to class all day, walking around campus all day. . . . We're a little more able to manage their sleep and their diet and things that can help them be more productive on game day."
After scoring 17 goals in the first seven games – topping last year's season total – Baylor has netted just one in the last four games. Ashley Merrill scored a first-half goal in a 1-0 win over UTSA 11 days ago.
Kansas, coming off back-to-back 1-0 losses to Oklahoma State and Big 12 newcomer UCF, is a "high-pressing, physical team that can be really dangerous in counter-attack moments," Lenard said.
"We're going to have to play through their press and make sure we take care of the ball," she said. "We've made some mistakes in front of the goal here recently. We can't afford those types of mistakes against a high-pressing team. We have to be able to get on the ball and control the game more than we have in the last few games. But while doing that, we need to advance the ball up the field and find ways to score goals."
The Bears pulled out a 3-2 win over the Jayhawks last year in Waco, scoring two goals in the last 2 ½ minutes. Merrill headed in the game-tying goal in the 88th minute and then Reneta Vargas scored her second of the night with 37 seconds left off a corner kick by Haven Terry and an assist from Hallie Augustyn.
"We feel like they're going to come in wanting to maybe get some revenge from that," Lenard said. "So, we have to be prepared for that emotion that they're going to bring into the game. We just have to stay focused on one game at a time. And honestly, one half at a time. I'm hoping to put together 90 solid minutes. If we do that, I feel confident we'll get a good result."
Tied with Houston and Iowa State at the bottom of the Big 12 standings, a half-game back of Kansas and K-State, the Bears need to get that first conference win and start climbing up the ladder in a league that now has four ranked teams. BYU is sixth, followed by Texas Tech at 14th, UCF at No. 19 and Texas at 21st.
"I think it'd be a step in the right direction," senior defender Blythe Obar said. "I think once we get that first win, it's just uphill from there."
Baylor is 13-13-2 all-time against Kansas and 4-1-1 versus K-State, losing 2-1 last year in Waco.
"They're excited, and they feel like these are games we can win," Lenard said. "They know we need to go on the road and get points. If we come out flat, then I'd be shocked, because our team knows what we need right now."
After former Dallas Baptist transfer forward Jenna Patterson missed Sunday's 2-0 loss to Tech with an ankle injury, Lenard said her "hope and expectation is that she can play at least some minutes (on Thursday)."
"My ankle was really fat, really swollen, bruised," Patterson said. "I've been fortunate enough that I've been able to walk and I have a lot of range of motion. So, it's been really good. I did some passing and warmed up (Tuesday), so hopefully I can just keep getting the swelling out so I can actually play."
Kansas State, riding an eight-game winless streak, will play at TCU Thursday night before hosting the Bears Sunday afternoon. Both of Baylor's games will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
STORY LINES
- Baylor soccer heads on the road for the first time in six games, to face the Kansas Jayhawks on Thursday, Sept. 28, before playing at Kansas State on Sunday, Oct. 1.
- This marks the Bears first match on the road since Sept. 3, when they faced Butler in Indianapolis and won 2-0.
- The 2023 season marks the 27th season of the Baylor Soccer program. During that time, BU has won four Big 12 titles, advanced to two Elite Eights and had four All-Americans to go with countless All-Big 12 and Academic All-Big 12 honorees.
- This season also marks the second year of the Michelle Lenard coaching era, as she was selected as the Bears sixth head coach in program history in December of 2021.
- The Bears are off to their best start to a season since the 2018 campaign, sporting a 5-5-1 record.
- Through the first seven games of the season, the Bears have compiled five shutout wins and have scored 18 goals. BU's 18 goals through the first 11 games are also the most since the 2018 season when the Bears had 25 to start the season.
- Eight different players have scored this season as Baylor has used a balanced offensive attack and a stifling defensive effort to total 18 goals and five shutouts.
- Three of the Bears first four goals this season were scored by newcomers, freshman Skylar Zinnecker and Callie Conrad and another from transfer Tyler Isgrig. Conrad also recorded an assist in the first week of play, making her the first freshman to score points in the in each of the Bears first two games of a season since Maddie Algya and Taylor Moon did so in 2018.
- Goalkeepers Makinzie Short and Ashlee Zirkel have split time in goal this season.
- The Bears first three games of conference play have all featured ranked opponents, No. 16 Texas, No. 6 BYU and No. 25 Texas Tech. The Bears have started conference play 0-3 and are looking for their first conference wins of the season.
- BU's seven goals against ACU this season was the first seven-goal game since Sept. 18, 2016, when the Bears beat Jackson State at home, 7-0.
- Also, in the win over ACU, Ashley Merrill recorded the first hat trick for the Bears, since Taylor Moon did so on March 27, 2021, vs Louisiana.
- Merrill now ties Baylor records with three second-half goals and six second-half points. Her three goals in under four minutes is the fastest hat trick in Baylor soccer history. She also has now scored in five matches so far this season.
- Tyler Isgrig and Merrill both lead the Bears with 14 points on the season, as Isgrig has four goals and six assists.
- Four Bears have recorded their first-career goals so far this season.
- BU is 13-13-2 all-time against Kansas, defeating them last season in Waco, 3-2, when Reneta Vargas scored the Bears game-winning goal in the 90th minute. BU's last contest against the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kan. resulted in a 1-2 loss for the Bears.
- The Bears hold the all-time record over Kansas State, 4-1-1, with their lone loss over the Wildcats coming last season when the Bears fell 2-1. BU is currently undefeated in Manhattan, Kan. with two wins and a tie.
- BaylorBears.com -
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