Saturday, November 10
Waco, TX
7:30 PM CT
Baylor
vs
ACU
Photo by: Matthew Minard
No. 11 SOC Hosts ACU for Opening Round of NCAA Tournament
11/9/2018 6:28:00 PM | Soccer
Bears earn highest-ever seed in postseason play
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Paul Jobson could never have guessed on Aug. 16, when his team beat Abilene Christian, 2-0, with second-half goals by a pair of freshmen, that Baylor would see the Wildcats again three months later in the NCAA tournament.
"We're going to go back and catch up on the last 19 games they've played and see how they've matured as a team and try to lock in and find a good game plan to compete and hopefully win the game," said Jobson, whose second-seeded and 11th-ranked Bears (17-5-0) will host ACU in a first-round matchup at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
"We are definitely a different team than we were back then . . . they're a different team, too. Obviously, there's some personnel that are the same, but everybody's a lot more fit, everybody's a lot more seasoned. There's a lot of differences, there are some similarities, but we've just got to come out and be who we are."
That's the thing, when Baylor played ACU in the season opener back in August, the Bears were just trying to figure out who they are, "what's our identity going to be," Jobson said.
"Now, we know that. Now we know our identity, we know who we are, we know the things we need to do to compete. It's just a matter of continuing to put those pieces together to compete against another team."
Five of Baylor's 11 starters are different, including goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt and forward Camryn Wendlandt, a pair of second-team All-Big 12 picks. That was also the first game with an all-new crew on Baylor's back line, with Sarah King moving from left back to center back and joined three new starters.
"I think we've grown a lot," said Wandt, who recorded 11 solo shutouts and a 0.66 goals-against average. "Just the way we talk to each other and know what each other is doing has helped tremendously. (Freshman Kayley Ables) played has played phenomenal and really stepped into a big role, and we're all gelling together now."
Joining King and Ables on the back line are sophomore transfer Sarah Norman from Texas Tech and senior Ariel Leach, who is questionable with a knee injury she suffered in last Sunday's 3-0 loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 Championship final.
Possible replacements, if Leach can't go, are junior transfer Danielle Hayden from Kentucky and redshirt junior Kylie Ross, who has played only two games this season.
Ables is one of several players on Baylor's roster who have moved around and adapted to different positions. Waco High's all-time leading scorer with 100 goals in three seasons, she switched from forward to defender as a freshman.
"Really, it's about those players buying into the process more than buying into what they think their identity is going to be on the field," Jobson said, "and doing what's best for the team and stepping into whatever role can help the team be successful. . . . We're going to continue to recruit kids that can be plugged in wherever we need them. Sometimes, that means you've got to move out of your comfort zone a little bit. Kayley Ables is a good example of that. She's done really, really well there, but a lot of that is because of the leadership around her."
While ACU is making its first NCAA Championship Division I appearance – the Wildcats reached the Division II quarterfinals in 2011 – Baylor has made five previous trips to the NCAA tournament that included last year's historic run to the Elite Eight.
For the returning players from that team, "I think it does help getting that experience of being in the postseason," said King, who joined senior midfielder Julie James on the All-Big 12 first team. "And I think it does help as well for us to be able to kind of relay that information to the newcomers and the freshmen a little bit, just to maybe calm nerves or get people ready for the next stage."
Jobson said he is always "grooming your team for these moments."
"When you get to the NCAA tournament, it really is about one game, you really aren't changing anything you've been doing all year."
As the No. 2 seed in the region, Baylor would host the next two rounds if it gets past ACU and play the winner of Saturday's game between SEC regular-season champion Vanderbilt (15-3-1) and Murray State (13-4-1). Third-seeded Virginia and Texas Tech won their first-round matchups in the Bears' section of the bracket and would make the trek to Waco next weekend.
"We're, obviously, so blessed to get our first game at Betty Lou," Wandt said, "and hopefully when we take care of business on Saturday get some more games here. It's an awesome experience being home. We don't miss a lot of class, and you're in own bed and everything like that."
WACO, Texas – No. 11 Baylor soccer (17-5-0, 8-1-0 Big 12) kicks off its run in the 2018 NCAA Soccer Championship at home, hosting Abilene Christian for first round action on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
Baylor enters the NCAA postseason with a No. 2 national seed, the highest-ever bid earned by a BU squad after winning the 2018 Big 12 regular season title and finishing as the runner-up in the 2018 Big 12 Soccer Championship.
ACU earned the school's first-ever bid to the NCAA postseason at the D-I level for any sport after winning the Southland conference tournament.
For the first time in program history, all home matches will offer a free live video stream on Facebook.com/BaylorFutbol.
The Legacy Fund membership is an exclusive support club that enhances the Baylor Soccer program. Becoming a Legacy member allows you to get an insider look at Baylor soccer and to support the team in every aspect of the program's success. For more information on the Legacy Fund, visit baylorbears.com/bearfoundation or call 254-710-3197.
Keep up with the team all season long by following Baylor Soccer on the team's official Twitter (@BaylorFutbol), Facebook (Baylor Soccer), and Instagram (@BaylorFutbol).
MATCH INFO
Sat., Nov. 10 vs. ACU @ 7:30 p.m. CT
Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field
Waco, Texas
Stats: BaylorBears.com/stats
Video: Facebook.com/BaylorFutbol
Tickets: BaylorBears.com/tickets
Clear bag policy is in effect
BAYLOR BEARS
2018 Record: 17-5-0
2018 Big 12 Record: 8-1-0
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 73-38-14 (6th season)
BU: 73-38-14 (6th season)
ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS
2018 Record: 15-5-1
2018 Southland Record: 7-3-1
Head Coach: Casey Wilson
Career: 133-86-19 (12th season)
ACU: 133-86-19 (12th season)
BU vs. ACU SERIES
Series: 1-0-0
First Meeting: 8/16/18
W, 2-0, in Waco
Last Meeting: 8/16/18
W, 2-0, in Waco
Last 5: 1-0-0
Jobson vs. ACU: 1-0-0
BAYLOR QUICK NOTES
* Baylor earned a No. 2 national seed, the highest-ever bid in the NCAA postseason for the Bears. BU enters its sixth run in the NCAA postseason and carries a 5-4-2 all-time record in tournament play. BU is hosting the opening round in Waco for the fifth time and is making back-to-back trips into the tournament for the third time.
* Baylor saw its program-record 10-match winning streak and program-record-tying 21-match streak with at least one goal snapped in a 3-0 loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 Soccer Championship final.
* Baylor clinched its second-ever regular season Big 12 title with a 1-0 win over Oklahoma in the final match of the Big 12 slate, helped by an overtime loss by WVU versus Kansas. The regular season title was BU's first since 1998 and fourth overall conference title.
* Sixth-year head coach Paul Jobson was named the 2018 Big 12 Soccer Coach of the Year, the second time in program history a BU coach has garnered the accolade (Randy Waldrum, 1998).
* Julie James, Sarah King, Jennifer Wandt, and Camryn Wendlandt earned All-Big 12 selections, tying the program record for selections. Kayley Ables and Taylor Moon were also named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team. Baylor has now had at least one All-Big 12 selection for seven-straight seasons and at least one Big 12 All-Freshman selection for five-straight.
* Baylor has had at least eight wins in, now, 10-straight seasons and has won or advanced by shootout in at least one match at the Big 12 Championship 11 times in 16 appearances, including now seven in a row.
* Baylor has now had 10 or more wins in 12 of its 23 seasons as a program, seven of the last nine, and three-straight under sixth-year head coach Paul Jobson. The 15 wins for BU in 2017 and 2018 are the most since the 2012 squad set a program record with 19 wins.
* Baylor has posted back-to-back 15-win seasons for just the second time in program history (2011-2012).
* Baylor has outscored its opponents 25-2 at home this season, posting a perfect 10-0 record at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
* Baylor's undefeated regular season home effort was the first time the Bears ran the table at home since 2012, with the 10 home wins standing as the most in a single-season in program history. Its 10-match winning streak entering the title match is the longest in program history.
* Jennifer Wandt's sophomore season has included 11 solo shutouts, good for second in the Big 12 and third in the nation. She now sits at No. 3 on Baylor's career shutouts list and is tied for No. 1 on Baylor's single-season list, one away from setting a new program record.
* As a team, Baylor's 0.650 shutout percentage is good for seventh in the country and best in the Big 12.
* Paul Jobson became Baylor soccer's all-time conference wins leader, improving to 24-18-6 career record in Big 12 play with a 3-1 win over Kansas, passing his wife and former Baylor head coach Marci Jobson (23-28-11) for the most conference wins in program history.
* Baylor bumped to No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 rankings, tying for the highest mark in program history and leading the Big 12.
* Baylor totaled six Big 12 Player of the Week honors in 2018, tallying one Offensive POTW, two Defensive POTW, and three Freshman OTW.
* Senior midfielder Julie James was named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, recognizing excellence in community, classroom, character and competition. James is the first candidate for the award in program history.
* Camryn Wendlandt was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Women's Soccer NCAA Division I District 5 first team, giving BU a selection in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2012-13 after Precious Akanyirige's selection in 2017.
* Jennifer Wandt's assist in a 6-0 win vs. Nebraska marked the fifth time and just the third different BU goalkeeper to assist on a score in program history, the first since Michelle Kloss (vs. Prairie View A&M, 9/19/10).
* Jackie Crowther and Giuliana Cunningham scored goals within just 20 seconds of each other in the win over Nebraska, the quickest consecutive goals in program history.
* Raegan Padgett notched the fastest goal to start a match in program history, scoring the first goal vs. Samford (Aug. 19) just 35 seconds into the match.
* Baylor had 16 Academic All-Big 12 selections, leading the conference and remaining the league's all-time leader in academic honorees.
* From May 9-12, a group of current and former Baylor soccer student-athletes returned for the second-straight year to serve on a mission trip to Guatemala alongside Baylor FCA.
Baylor Bear Insider
Paul Jobson could never have guessed on Aug. 16, when his team beat Abilene Christian, 2-0, with second-half goals by a pair of freshmen, that Baylor would see the Wildcats again three months later in the NCAA tournament.
"We're going to go back and catch up on the last 19 games they've played and see how they've matured as a team and try to lock in and find a good game plan to compete and hopefully win the game," said Jobson, whose second-seeded and 11th-ranked Bears (17-5-0) will host ACU in a first-round matchup at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
"We are definitely a different team than we were back then . . . they're a different team, too. Obviously, there's some personnel that are the same, but everybody's a lot more fit, everybody's a lot more seasoned. There's a lot of differences, there are some similarities, but we've just got to come out and be who we are."
That's the thing, when Baylor played ACU in the season opener back in August, the Bears were just trying to figure out who they are, "what's our identity going to be," Jobson said.
"Now, we know that. Now we know our identity, we know who we are, we know the things we need to do to compete. It's just a matter of continuing to put those pieces together to compete against another team."
Five of Baylor's 11 starters are different, including goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt and forward Camryn Wendlandt, a pair of second-team All-Big 12 picks. That was also the first game with an all-new crew on Baylor's back line, with Sarah King moving from left back to center back and joined three new starters.
"I think we've grown a lot," said Wandt, who recorded 11 solo shutouts and a 0.66 goals-against average. "Just the way we talk to each other and know what each other is doing has helped tremendously. (Freshman Kayley Ables) played has played phenomenal and really stepped into a big role, and we're all gelling together now."
Joining King and Ables on the back line are sophomore transfer Sarah Norman from Texas Tech and senior Ariel Leach, who is questionable with a knee injury she suffered in last Sunday's 3-0 loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 Championship final.
Possible replacements, if Leach can't go, are junior transfer Danielle Hayden from Kentucky and redshirt junior Kylie Ross, who has played only two games this season.
Ables is one of several players on Baylor's roster who have moved around and adapted to different positions. Waco High's all-time leading scorer with 100 goals in three seasons, she switched from forward to defender as a freshman.
"Really, it's about those players buying into the process more than buying into what they think their identity is going to be on the field," Jobson said, "and doing what's best for the team and stepping into whatever role can help the team be successful. . . . We're going to continue to recruit kids that can be plugged in wherever we need them. Sometimes, that means you've got to move out of your comfort zone a little bit. Kayley Ables is a good example of that. She's done really, really well there, but a lot of that is because of the leadership around her."
While ACU is making its first NCAA Championship Division I appearance – the Wildcats reached the Division II quarterfinals in 2011 – Baylor has made five previous trips to the NCAA tournament that included last year's historic run to the Elite Eight.
For the returning players from that team, "I think it does help getting that experience of being in the postseason," said King, who joined senior midfielder Julie James on the All-Big 12 first team. "And I think it does help as well for us to be able to kind of relay that information to the newcomers and the freshmen a little bit, just to maybe calm nerves or get people ready for the next stage."
Jobson said he is always "grooming your team for these moments."
"When you get to the NCAA tournament, it really is about one game, you really aren't changing anything you've been doing all year."
As the No. 2 seed in the region, Baylor would host the next two rounds if it gets past ACU and play the winner of Saturday's game between SEC regular-season champion Vanderbilt (15-3-1) and Murray State (13-4-1). Third-seeded Virginia and Texas Tech won their first-round matchups in the Bears' section of the bracket and would make the trek to Waco next weekend.
"We're, obviously, so blessed to get our first game at Betty Lou," Wandt said, "and hopefully when we take care of business on Saturday get some more games here. It's an awesome experience being home. We don't miss a lot of class, and you're in own bed and everything like that."
WACO, Texas – No. 11 Baylor soccer (17-5-0, 8-1-0 Big 12) kicks off its run in the 2018 NCAA Soccer Championship at home, hosting Abilene Christian for first round action on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
Baylor enters the NCAA postseason with a No. 2 national seed, the highest-ever bid earned by a BU squad after winning the 2018 Big 12 regular season title and finishing as the runner-up in the 2018 Big 12 Soccer Championship.
ACU earned the school's first-ever bid to the NCAA postseason at the D-I level for any sport after winning the Southland conference tournament.
For the first time in program history, all home matches will offer a free live video stream on Facebook.com/BaylorFutbol.
The Legacy Fund membership is an exclusive support club that enhances the Baylor Soccer program. Becoming a Legacy member allows you to get an insider look at Baylor soccer and to support the team in every aspect of the program's success. For more information on the Legacy Fund, visit baylorbears.com/bearfoundation or call 254-710-3197.
Keep up with the team all season long by following Baylor Soccer on the team's official Twitter (@BaylorFutbol), Facebook (Baylor Soccer), and Instagram (@BaylorFutbol).
MATCH INFO
Sat., Nov. 10 vs. ACU @ 7:30 p.m. CT
Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field
Waco, Texas
Stats: BaylorBears.com/stats
Video: Facebook.com/BaylorFutbol
Tickets: BaylorBears.com/tickets
Clear bag policy is in effect
BAYLOR BEARS
2018 Record: 17-5-0
2018 Big 12 Record: 8-1-0
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 73-38-14 (6th season)
BU: 73-38-14 (6th season)
ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS
2018 Record: 15-5-1
2018 Southland Record: 7-3-1
Head Coach: Casey Wilson
Career: 133-86-19 (12th season)
ACU: 133-86-19 (12th season)
BU vs. ACU SERIES
Series: 1-0-0
First Meeting: 8/16/18
W, 2-0, in Waco
Last Meeting: 8/16/18
W, 2-0, in Waco
Last 5: 1-0-0
Jobson vs. ACU: 1-0-0
BAYLOR QUICK NOTES
* Baylor earned a No. 2 national seed, the highest-ever bid in the NCAA postseason for the Bears. BU enters its sixth run in the NCAA postseason and carries a 5-4-2 all-time record in tournament play. BU is hosting the opening round in Waco for the fifth time and is making back-to-back trips into the tournament for the third time.
* Baylor saw its program-record 10-match winning streak and program-record-tying 21-match streak with at least one goal snapped in a 3-0 loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 Soccer Championship final.
* Baylor clinched its second-ever regular season Big 12 title with a 1-0 win over Oklahoma in the final match of the Big 12 slate, helped by an overtime loss by WVU versus Kansas. The regular season title was BU's first since 1998 and fourth overall conference title.
* Sixth-year head coach Paul Jobson was named the 2018 Big 12 Soccer Coach of the Year, the second time in program history a BU coach has garnered the accolade (Randy Waldrum, 1998).
* Julie James, Sarah King, Jennifer Wandt, and Camryn Wendlandt earned All-Big 12 selections, tying the program record for selections. Kayley Ables and Taylor Moon were also named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team. Baylor has now had at least one All-Big 12 selection for seven-straight seasons and at least one Big 12 All-Freshman selection for five-straight.
* Baylor has had at least eight wins in, now, 10-straight seasons and has won or advanced by shootout in at least one match at the Big 12 Championship 11 times in 16 appearances, including now seven in a row.
* Baylor has now had 10 or more wins in 12 of its 23 seasons as a program, seven of the last nine, and three-straight under sixth-year head coach Paul Jobson. The 15 wins for BU in 2017 and 2018 are the most since the 2012 squad set a program record with 19 wins.
* Baylor has posted back-to-back 15-win seasons for just the second time in program history (2011-2012).
* Baylor has outscored its opponents 25-2 at home this season, posting a perfect 10-0 record at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
* Baylor's undefeated regular season home effort was the first time the Bears ran the table at home since 2012, with the 10 home wins standing as the most in a single-season in program history. Its 10-match winning streak entering the title match is the longest in program history.
* Jennifer Wandt's sophomore season has included 11 solo shutouts, good for second in the Big 12 and third in the nation. She now sits at No. 3 on Baylor's career shutouts list and is tied for No. 1 on Baylor's single-season list, one away from setting a new program record.
* As a team, Baylor's 0.650 shutout percentage is good for seventh in the country and best in the Big 12.
* Paul Jobson became Baylor soccer's all-time conference wins leader, improving to 24-18-6 career record in Big 12 play with a 3-1 win over Kansas, passing his wife and former Baylor head coach Marci Jobson (23-28-11) for the most conference wins in program history.
* Baylor bumped to No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 rankings, tying for the highest mark in program history and leading the Big 12.
* Baylor totaled six Big 12 Player of the Week honors in 2018, tallying one Offensive POTW, two Defensive POTW, and three Freshman OTW.
* Senior midfielder Julie James was named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, recognizing excellence in community, classroom, character and competition. James is the first candidate for the award in program history.
* Camryn Wendlandt was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Women's Soccer NCAA Division I District 5 first team, giving BU a selection in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2012-13 after Precious Akanyirige's selection in 2017.
* Jennifer Wandt's assist in a 6-0 win vs. Nebraska marked the fifth time and just the third different BU goalkeeper to assist on a score in program history, the first since Michelle Kloss (vs. Prairie View A&M, 9/19/10).
* Jackie Crowther and Giuliana Cunningham scored goals within just 20 seconds of each other in the win over Nebraska, the quickest consecutive goals in program history.
* Raegan Padgett notched the fastest goal to start a match in program history, scoring the first goal vs. Samford (Aug. 19) just 35 seconds into the match.
* Baylor had 16 Academic All-Big 12 selections, leading the conference and remaining the league's all-time leader in academic honorees.
* From May 9-12, a group of current and former Baylor soccer student-athletes returned for the second-straight year to serve on a mission trip to Guatemala alongside Baylor FCA.
#SicEm
Players Mentioned
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