Baylor
West Virginia
Bears Head to Morgantown for Third-Straight Top-10 Contest
10/14/2020 4:59:00 PM | Soccer
Baylor has won two of the last three meetings vs. the Mountaineers
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BAYLOR BEARS (1-1-3) Location: Waco, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Paul Jobson (Presbyterian, 1999) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
BAYLOR (1-1-3) vs. WEST VIRGINIA (4-1) Oct. 16, 2020 • 6 p.m. CT Morgantown, W. Va. • Dick Dlesk Soccer Field Live Stats: baylorstats.com WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ Baylor Social Media:    |
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WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (4-1) Location: Morgantown, W. Va. Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Nikki Izzo-Brown (Rochester, 1993) Roster | Stats (PDF) | Game Notes (PDF) |
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By Meredith Pratt
Following its breakout 2-0 victory against then-No. 5 Kansas, the Baylor soccer team (1-1-3) is primed and ready to face No. 7 West Virginia (4-1-0) at 6 p.m. CDT Friday in Morgantown.
While energized by the win after netting a second-half goal against the Jayhawks, junior forward Taylor Moon said her focus is strictly on West Virginia.
"We are definitely more excited, more ready to get back out there," Moon said. "But, the coaches have narrowed our focus down to this week because we're on to what's next. So, we can't think about the win we just had, we have to focus on the next game."
Freshman defender Chloe Japic said that the team has made it a goal to keep refining their performance week-to-week.
"I think every single player starting on the field, on the sideline, all the freshmen, have done a great job of making sure that we're prepared and just adapting to the best of our abilities," said Japic, who was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week. "We can see, and I think everyone else watching can see, that we're all improving every single game."
Coach Paul Jobson said the team's drive has always been there, but now the confidence is finally starting to pick up, too.
"I'm surprised we didn't get any injuries out of that celebration [last week]," Jobson said. "There's just a sense of relief and just a lot of excitement, obviously, beating a top-5 program here at home with a bunch of youngsters, a lot of veterans that deserve it for all the work that they've put in. It does take a little bit of the load off of them."
Also coming into the game with some momentum, the Mountaineers are sitting at the top of the Big 12 standings with victories over Texas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas Tech. The Mountaineers' only loss came in double overtime at Oklahoma State.
"You're definitely the underdog when you walk into that park up there, under the mountains," Jobson said. "So, you kind of go out there knowing that it's going to be a physical matchup, and they're also a quality soccer team. But excited to see what our team can do."
Last season, Baylor beat the Mountaineers, 4-2, in Waco and became the first Big 12 program to defeat West Virginia twice in conference play since the Mountaineers joined the league in 2012.
Moon said she hopes the offense can deliver like the Bears did last week when they netted their first two run of play goals of the season.
"They're a really good opponent, it's always a good game when we play them," Moon said. "It's obviously on the road, so it's going to be difficult. But, I think we're just going to focus on finishing a little bit and just hope that our defense is solid and hopefully we can put some balls in the back of the net again."
Despite the unconventional circumstances that came with the COVID-19 outbreak, Jobson said he admires the resiliency and toughness the Bears have shown him so far this season.
"They're tough, they're inspiring, they put it all out there. And it really is inspiring," he said. "You sit there as a coach, not knowing… in the unknown of COVID and the unknown of 14 new players and a team coming off an unimpressive season last year, you don't know. And you just hope to inspire, not realizing you're going to be the one that's inspired."
Friday's game will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
STORY LINES
- After back-to-back weeks at home, Baylor hits the road to face its third-straight ranked opponent in No. 7 West Virginia. The Mountaineers are currently atop the Big 12 standings with a 4-1 record.
- The Bears are coming off their first win of the season, a 2-0 victory over No. 5 Kansas. It marked the first win over a top-5 team in program history since BU defeated Texas A&M, 2-1, in overtime on Oct. 12, 1997.
- Mackenzie Anthony scored the first goal of her career in the 20th minute against the Jayhawks when she stole a pass at the top of the box before she took a couple of dribbles and fired a shot that banged in off the left post. It was the first goal given up by Kansas this season and the eighth first-half goal allowed by the Jayhawks in their last 27 matches.
- Taylor Moon netted a goal in the second half, the sixth of her career and first since Sept. 2019, in the 54th minute. Anthony delivered a cross to the top of the box that Moon drilled into the bottom right corner.
YOU DON'T WANDT NONE OF THIS
- Jennifer Wandt is Baylor's all-time leader in career shutouts with 29 as she passed Baylor Hall-of-Famer Dawn Greathouse (1997-00) in the draw vs. the Cowgirls.
- Of the 70 matches Wandt has played in during her time at Baylor, she's recorded a shutout 41.4 percent of the time.
- She is tied for fifth in Big 12 history alongside Texas Tech's Victoria Esson (2011-13) and West Virginia's Abby Smith (2012-15).
- Wandt is tied for second in the country with four shutouts so far this season; however, she is the lone goalkeeper to record three of her shutouts in double-overtime ties (110 minutes). Three other keepers have one overtime shutout this season – TCU's Emily Alvarado vs. Baylor, 0-0 (2OT); Appalachian State's Kerry Eagleston vs. The Citadel, 0-0 (2OT) and Pitt's Katherine Robinson vs. Navy 1-0 (OT).
NO GOAL PATROL
- Three of BU's four shutouts have come vs. ranked opponents (TCU, Oklahoma State and Kansas).
- Baylor is seventh in the country with 433 minutes of shutout soccer.
- The other six programs (Louisiana, 707; Pitt, 673; App. State, 601; Arkansas State, 592; Georgia State, 541; Central Arkansas, 519) have all played at least eight matches, while BU has played five.
- On the season, the Baylor back line has won 67 percent of their challenges and 72 percent of their air challenges.
KEEPING IT 100
- Baylor leads the nation in double overtime games this year with four. Four other programs have gone into extra time three times (Stephen F. Austin, Texas State, Duke and Appalachian State). SFA and App. State are the only two programs that have seen all their OT matches go to 2OT.
- For the third time in program history, BU has a stretch of at least four-straight matches going to overtime. Only one other time in program history (2012) have the Bears played four consecutive double overtime contests.
- For the 13th-straight year, BU has at least four matches that have gone to overtime.
- Across the country, five matches so far this season have ended in double-overtime scoreless draws. Baylor has three of those.
- In NCAA history, six programs have recorded at least three 0-0 ties in a season multiple times: Georgia State (5-2016, 4-2009); Michigan (4-2006, 3-2007); Milwaukee (4-2005, 3-2007); Baylor (3-2020, 3-2013); Valparaiso (3-2014, 3-2008); UC Irvine (3-2003, 3-1989, 3-1988).
WEEKLY ACCOLADES
- Despite not having anyone selected to the preseason All-Big 12 team, Baylor leads the league with four weekly award winners so far this season.
- Anthony was named Freshman of the Week (Oct. 13) after recording three points with her first career goal and assist in the win over No. 5 Kansas.
- Anthony also received Honorable Mention accolades from Top Drawer Soccer, while Chloe Japic was named to the Team of the Week (10/13).
- Wandt was named Goalkeeper of the Week (Oct. 6) after setting the BU record in career shutouts against then-No. 4 Oklahoma State.
- Wandt's five weekly awards are the most in program history. Lauren Piercy (2015-18) and Ashley Noah (2004-07) each received three weekly honors from the conference.
- Kayley Ables was been named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for two straight weeks to start the season (Sept. 14, 21). She became the first Bear to rack up back-to-back honors since Ginny Rosario-Tull was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in 2001. The defender is also the first multi-award winner in a season since Wandt in 2018.
- Wandt was also named to Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week after her shutout performance in the season opener vs. TCU (Sept. 14).
A LOOK AT WEST VIRGINIA
- Baylor topped the Mountaineers, 4-2, last season in Waco behind Elizabeth Kooiman's hat trick, the first in BU history since 2010. Baylor became the first Big 12 program to defeat West Virginia twice in confernece play since the Mountaineers joined the league in 2012.
- The Mountaineers are 30-4-2 against Big 12 foes at home.
- WVU is No. 8 in the country with 2.20 goals per contest. West Virginia has won 47 of its last 48 matches when scoring two or more goals.
- The lone time WVU was held to fewer than two goals this season came in a double-overtime loss to Oklahoma State (Sept. 25). After scoring the game-tying goal in the 76th minute to eventually force extra time, the Mountaineers conceded a golden goal with just 26 seconds to play in the second overtime period.
RECORD WATCH
- Wandt is first in program history with 29 career shutouts, recently passing Dawn Greathouse (1997- 00). She is also third in career saves (219), first in career solo shutouts (29), second in career wins (40) and second in career goalkeeper minutes (6,304).
- Ally Henderson recorded an assist against the Cyclones, moving her into a tie for eighth place in program history with 13 career assists. She is also eighth in career minutes (5,588).
