THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor soccer (1-0) notched a pair of second-half goals from two freshmen to grind out a 2-0 win in the 2018 season opener over ACU (0-1) on Thursday evening at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. 
 
BU carried edges in shots (15-4) and shots on goal (7-2), but were edged by ACU in corners (4-3).
 
Both goals for the Bears came in the run of play, starting with a score in the 59th minute.
 
Jackie Crowther started the drive in, pushing up the field and crossing in to Taylor Moon. Moon placed a header pass up to Maddie Algya, who jumped in for a header shot to cross the ACU goalkeeper, Erin Smith, over and find the back of the net for the first score of the season.
 
Carrying a 1-0 lead into the closing minutes of the match, Moon broke away from the ACU backline in the 88th minute. Going one-on-one with ACU's Smith, Moon chipped a shot from 15 yards out that snuck under the crossbar and found the net, icing the 2-0 victory for the Bears.
 
STAT OF THE MATCH
2 – Number of goals scored by BU true freshmen, with Taylor Moon and Maddie Algya providing the offense for the Bears.
 
TOP QUOTES
Baylor Head Coach Paul Jobson
On having a good set of freshmen playing in starting roles…
"We do have some starting freshmen who can play. Obviously, they have to step up and improve it and I think they played their way into it. They did a really good job tonight and I was proud of all of them who had an opportunity. Three of them started as freshmen. I was telling these guys that the veterans know what that is like because they were those freshmen a couple years ago. Credit to the upperclassmen too for helping these young players kind of get into a groove."
 
Baylor Midfielder Maddie Algya
On starting the opening game as a freshman…
"I was pretty nervous just to start as a freshman in one of the first games. I had a bit of nerves going out in the first half, but as the game went on my nerves went away."
 
Baylor Forward Taylor Moon
On scoring her first career collegiate goal…
"I felt the defender on my back, so I faked going one way and went the other. The last chance I had I kicked it on the ground, so when I saw the goalie coming out I thought it was a perfect opportunity to chip it. Initially I thought it was going over, but when I saw it going down I started celebrating before I saw it going in."
 
NOTES
* Six Bears made their debut in the green and gold for BU, with Danielle Hayden, Kayley Ables, Taylor Moon and Maddie Algya making the start and Sarah Norman coming in as a reserve.
 
* Freshmen Maddie Algya and Taylor Moon provided both scoring efforts and accounted for five of Baylor's six points in the match.
 
* Freshman Kayley Ables was one of three Bears (Julie James, Sarah King, Ally Henderson) who played the full 90 minutes and was the only freshman to do so.
 
* Hannah Parrish and Jennifer Wandt split the two halves in goal, with Parrish taking the start. Each keeper made a save, combining for the shutout effort.
 
* Baylor improved to 16-6-1 all-time in season openers. Under the Jobsons, BU is 7-3-1.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor will host Samford on Sunday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.