Aug. 22, 2001
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Friday, August 24 * Waco, Texas * 7:30 p.m. CT
The Baylor soccer team begins its third season under head coach Nick Cowell on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. against Arizona State in the Baylor Labor Day Classic. To get ready for that opening action, the Bears will host SMU in a preseason scrimmage Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
Baylor in 2001 will be a young team, but with a surprising amount of experience. Despite a roster that includes only two seniors and three juniors, the Bears return seven starters from a year ago. Those starters will be depended on to provide leadership to the 13 freshmen joining the team this season.
Leading the way for Baylor are senior co-captains Rachel Kacsmaryk and Alyson Miles. Other top returnees include sophomore Emily Fukuchi, the team's top returning scorer in 2000, junior Tamura Crawley, a preseason all-Big 12 selection, and sophomore Melissa Humke, a member of the 2000 Big 12 All-Newcomer team.
Baylor vs. SMU, the series history
Baylor opened the 2000 season with a 2-1 loss in Dallas against then-No. 13 SMU. Molly Cameron scored the only goal for Baylor.
The Bears are 1-4 all-time against the Mustangs, with the lone win coming in 1998 when an unranked Baylor team upset the then-No. 13 Mustangs in Dallas, 3-1.
Baylor Labor Day Classic
For the third consecutive year, the Bears open their home season by hosting a tournament. In 1999, Baylor defeated San Diego (6-1) and TCU (2-0) in what was then called the Bear Invitational. Last season, Baylor tied Arkansas (1-1) and shut out North Texas (1-0) in the Baylor Tournament.
The Bears host LaSalle, Furman and Arizona State in the Baylor Labor Day Classic Aug. 31-Sept. 2. Baylor plays the Sun Devils Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m., then faces the Lady Palatins Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. The Bears have never faced either team.
Bears Ranked Among Region's Best Yet Again
Soccer Buzz magazine ranked Baylor eighth in the Central Region in its preseason rankings. The Bears finished 2000 third in the region and receiving votes in the national polls.
Head Coach Nick Cowell
Head coach Nick Cowell, now in his third year at the helm of the Baylor soccer team, has steadily built a program that consistently rates as one of the best in the Big 12 Conference. In 2001, his challenge is take things one step further, the Bears are shooting for a spot in the NCAA field of 48, from whence they can challenge for the national title.
In Cowell's first year at Baylor, the team finished 14-7-1 overall and placed fourth in the conference with a 6-3-1 mark. Last season, the Bears again finshed fourth in the Big 12 and compiled an overall record of 10-6-3. Under Cowell, the team has made one NCAA appearance (1999) and barely missed out on another (2000).
Prior to coming to Baylor, Cowell spent eight years as head coach at Trinity University in San Antonio. During that time, he led his team to seven straight conference titles, including 49-straight conference victories and six trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
At Trinity, Cowell's success resulted in him being named the SCAC Coach of the Year five times. In 1992, he garnered Regional Coach of the Year honors. Prior to his work at Trinity, Cowell was at The College of Wooster where he had a 22-11-4 record in two seasons. He led the Lady Scots to the North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1990. Following that season he was named the NCAC and Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Coach of the Year.
Cowell began the 2001 season ranked 24th in career wins among active coaches at four-year colleges, with a career record of 163-54-16.
Cowell Adds Pair of New Assistant Coaches
The 2001 season brings two new assistant coaches to the Baylor fold. Assistant coach Rj. Anderson and graduate assistant coach Becca Lief joined the Bears prior to the season, each bringing new talents to the program.
Anderson comes to Baylor from the University of Toledo, where he was women's head soccer coach from 1995-2000. Anderson brings over 35 years of soccer experience as a player, coach and official at both the national and international level.
Lief joins the Baylor staff from nearby SMU, where she started in goal for two seasons for the Mustangs. As goalkeeper coach, Lief's duties will focus on helping the Bears' stable of goalies prepare for the upcoming season.
Crawley Named Preseason All-Big 12
Junior defender Tamura Crawley was named to the 2001 All-Big 12 Soccer Preseason Team by the league's coaches. Crawley earned second-team all-conference honors in 2000 after being named to the Big 12's first team in 1999. Crawley is also a two-time all-region selection, as named by Soccer Buzz magazine. She was named to the preseason all-conference team last season, as well.
2001 Recruiting Class Brings Honors for Bears
The Baylor soccer team's 2001 recruiting class ranked eighth regionally and 35th in the nation, according to Soccer Buzz magazine.
Since head coach Nick Cowell's arrival, the Bears have ranked among the nation's best at recruiting. In 1999, Baylor did not receive national or regional recognition, in 2000, the team improved to 26th in the nation and fifth in the region. The 2001 season marks the Bears' second straight season among the nation's elite.
Baylor Picked Sixth in Big 12 in Preseason Poll
In a poll of the league's coaches, Baylor was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 Conference. Defending national champion Nebraska is the preseason favorite to win the Big 12, followed by Texas A&M, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma (tied for fourth) and Baylor. Kansas, Colorado, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State round out the bottom half of the league.
The Bears finished the 2000 season in fourth place in the Big 12. Baylor lost to third-ranked Nebraska in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament and narrowly missed the program's third-straight selection to the NCAA Tournament.
Bears in the Pros
Three athletes with Baylor connections participated in the inaugural season of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the world's premier women's professional soccer league. Goalkeeper Dawn Greathouse, an all-American for Baylor in 1998, spent the 2000 season with the Washington Freedom, while fellow all-American Courtney Saunders is a member of the Philadelphia Charge. Former assistant coach Rebecca Hornbacher joined the Boston Breakers.
Working Their Way Up The Charts
Senior co-captains Rachel Kacsmaryk and Alyson Miles each rank among the team's all-time leaders in several statistical categories.
Kacsmaryk enters her senior year ranked seventh in career points (23), tied for sixth in career goals (8) and sixth in career game-winning assists (3).
Miles begins the season ranked sixth in career points (24), tied for sixth in career goals (8), tied for seventh in career game-winning assists (2), and sixth in consecutive games played (62).
Home is Where the Wins Are
Since the program's inception in 1996, the Bears are a sparkling 35-7-4 (.804) at home. Four of those losses came in 1999, in the team's other four seasons, Baylor has never lost more than one game a year at home.
Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field
The 2001 season marks the third year for the Bears at the newly renamed Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. The former Baylor Soccer Stadium was renamed during the 2000 season in honor of the late Betty Lou Mays of Amarillo, Texas. Mrs. Mays was the wife of Troy Mays, a 1945 graduate of Baylor, the two were longtime supporters of Baylor athletics.
