Aug. 20, 2009

The Baylor soccer team will kick off the 2009 season on the road, as the Bears travel to Houston on Fri., Aug. 21 to face Rice at 7:00 p.m. and then welcome Lamar for the home opener on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. This marks the second-straight year that the Bears have begun the season away from home and will be the earliest start date in program history.

"I am very excited about getting the season going," head coach Marci Jobson said. "We performed well in our exhibition against TCU, and I think this team is ready to go."

Baylor returns 19 players from last year's squad which finished the year with a 5-11-3 record. The Bears welcome 15 newcomers, including 13 freshmen, as Jobson enters her second season at helm of the Baylor program.

The Bears will count on sophomore defender Staz Salinas to help anchor a defense that allowed the second-lowest goal total (22) in program history last season. On offense, junior Lotto Smith returns after recording three goals and an assist in 2008.

Rice returns 17 letterwinners to this year's squad, including nine starters from last season's team that finished 10-9-0. The Bears hold a 2-0-1 all-time advantage against the Owls after the two last played to a 0-0 tie on Aug. 31, 2004 in Waco.

Lamar, who is coming off a 4-11-1 campaign in 2008, will travel to Waco after opening the season at Louisiana Tech on Friday. Sunday's meeting will be the first between the two programs, as the Cardinals began its soccer program in 2007. The Bears are unbeaten in home openers since 2002, carrying a 6-0-1 record. Baylor's last home-opening loss was to No. 21 Arizona State on Aug. 31, 2001.

Sunday will be Kids Free Sunday, as all children 12 and under will receive free admission. In addition, all hot dogs will be just $1.