FRESHMAN FACTOR
10/22/2020 12:12:00 PM | Soccer
Nine Newcomers Making Big Impact on Soccer Team
By Meredith Pratt
Young? Sure. Talented? Absolutely.
Baylor (1-2-3), tied for sixth in the Big 12 standings with six points, welcomed 14 freshmen into the program this season.
That freshman class has accounted for half of Baylor's goals and assists to this point and will undoubtedly play a huge role the rest of the season, starting with Thursday's 7 p.m. matchup at Betty Lou Mays Field against Kansas State (1-4-0). The Wildcats are coming off a 3-0 win over Oklahoma and will be Baylor's first unranked opponent in a month.
Nine of Baylor's 14 freshmen have already seen the field, with four starting every game: defenders Chloe Japic and Sarah Hornyak, midfielder Gabby Mueller and forward Mackenzie Anthony. Freshman forward Olivia Mack also started two games when Elizabeth Kooiman was out with an injury.
Compare that to the other nine teams in the league, which have combined to have a total of five freshmen start every game.
Coach Paul Jobson said that, going into this season, he did not expect to see several freshmen "ready right away." But, after observing these four freshmen start, he can confidently say they each bring much-needed skills to the table.
Anthony scored the first goal and also assisted on Taylor Moon's goal in a 2-0 win over then-No. 5 Kansas. The freshman forward said it was the "best feeling ever" when she saw her goal hit the back of the net.
"You never know with a youngster when they're going to kind of break through," Jobson said. "But, I'm just really proud of her. And you could tell from the reaction from the bench that there was a lot of excitement on not only us scoring our first goal, but her scoring her first goal."
Even in the preseason, Jobson said Anthony's "just got a knack for the goal."
"She is a true goal scorer, powerful, strong kid, that is just catching up to speed of play," he said. "She's used to having a ton of time and space around her to kind of do what she wants to do. And at this level, you don't have time to think, you just have to act. She's figuring that out."
Jobson said that Japic, who scored off a free kick in a 2-1, double-overtime loss at Iowa State, could "probably play anywhere on the field."
"We really had penned her as a center midfield player," Jobson said. "Then, when we started putting the pieces together, realized we had some holes in the back and we were kind of trying to figure out who would fit best into that center back position. Chloe fit perfectly into it. She sees the field really well, [is] vocal as a freshman, [and] understands the game and has done well there."
Japic remembers the adjustment period she went through during the preseason and first few games.
"We came in, and we were kind of thrown in to just everything," Japic said. "Both Sarah [Hornyak] and I came in as midfielders, and then the coaches were like, 'We're going to throw you in the back.' But really, I think just kind of being thrown into the deep end forced us all to adjust really fast. And 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."
Hornyak, who was also asked to transition into a backline role alongside Japic, admitted that at the beginning of the season she thought, "Oh my gosh, I don't know if I can do this."
"I've always been someone that loves to dribble, and I learned really fast in the first couple of weeks… just pass the ball, have to be quicker, have to get out of the back," Hornyak said. "I find myself trying to get too far forward sometimes, just because I used to be a midfielder. I need to be more disciplined and stay back. I learned from messing up a lot, to not do those things anymore, so now I feel more comfortable in my role, and it's good."
Jobson said the freshman defender from Southlake, Texas, is "extremely coachable" and willing to take advice from veterans like senior goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt.
"Her tenacity and her determination and her ability to learn quickly has found her to be a formidable player on the right back position for us," Jobson said. "[She] gets up and down the wing really well."
Mueller, who has been credited with one assist, said that coming into the program she was "keeping a really open mind about everything" and was just hoping that she would "get some minutes and some other freshmen would get some minutes."
"Then, the first game happened, and we had like five starting freshmen," she said. "I was pretty shocked."
Mueller said college soccer feels like "all new territory" compared to her time on a club team back home in Macomb, Mich.
"It was probably the biggest transition I've ever had to deal with and just so quickly and underneath so much pressure," Mueller said. "I went in there kind of expecting a fast game, but being in the game is just totally different. So, that was just a really big shocker for I think a lot of the freshmen."
Unlike the other freshmen, Mueller was able to get a head start practicing with the team during spring training after graduating high school early.
"She has had to learn what defense is, for sure – that wasn't something that was required of her at the club level," Jobson said. "But, she has actually enjoyed it and has taken to it very quickly. She's great offensively, and we'll see that even more as she develops."
As the season has progressed, the freshmen have learned to lean on each other, as well as their veteran teammates.
Mueller said she has learned a lot from senior midfielder Ally Henderson.
"Ally has helped me tremendously," Mueller said. "From game one to the last game we played, she has helped me in every area, especially the defending piece. She talks to me all the time and just guides me on the field and is just a really big help."
Hornyak said both new and old players have helped coach her as she continues to adjust from the midfield position to playing defense.
"Kayley [Ables], [Sarah] Norman and Jen [Wandt], they all say 'no goal patrol', so that's just the goal of the game. Even if it's ugly sometimes, just get that ball out of the goal," Hornyak said. "Having them help me out is huge. And also, Chloe may be a freshman, but… she really plays like a veteran as well. So, it's great to have everyone back there in my backline with me."
According to Anthony, the players are becoming really tight-knit, which translates into how they play on the field.
"We've started working better together, and even just off the field, our camaraderie is so strong," said Anthony, a freshman forward from Wheaton, Ill. "We're so much more relaxed, and we're starting to know each other's runs. We've kind of figured out like where to go and what our strengths are and how to use that."
Moon praised the freshmen for their contributions and said they have been a "huge asset" to the team."
"They've just amazed all of us," she said. "They've really stepped up to the plate, and it's hard to do as a freshman, but we're proud of them and we're hoping that they continue to do well."
Young? Sure. Talented? Absolutely.
Baylor (1-2-3), tied for sixth in the Big 12 standings with six points, welcomed 14 freshmen into the program this season.
That freshman class has accounted for half of Baylor's goals and assists to this point and will undoubtedly play a huge role the rest of the season, starting with Thursday's 7 p.m. matchup at Betty Lou Mays Field against Kansas State (1-4-0). The Wildcats are coming off a 3-0 win over Oklahoma and will be Baylor's first unranked opponent in a month.
Nine of Baylor's 14 freshmen have already seen the field, with four starting every game: defenders Chloe Japic and Sarah Hornyak, midfielder Gabby Mueller and forward Mackenzie Anthony. Freshman forward Olivia Mack also started two games when Elizabeth Kooiman was out with an injury.
Compare that to the other nine teams in the league, which have combined to have a total of five freshmen start every game.
Coach Paul Jobson said that, going into this season, he did not expect to see several freshmen "ready right away." But, after observing these four freshmen start, he can confidently say they each bring much-needed skills to the table.
Anthony scored the first goal and also assisted on Taylor Moon's goal in a 2-0 win over then-No. 5 Kansas. The freshman forward said it was the "best feeling ever" when she saw her goal hit the back of the net.
"You never know with a youngster when they're going to kind of break through," Jobson said. "But, I'm just really proud of her. And you could tell from the reaction from the bench that there was a lot of excitement on not only us scoring our first goal, but her scoring her first goal."
Even in the preseason, Jobson said Anthony's "just got a knack for the goal."
"She is a true goal scorer, powerful, strong kid, that is just catching up to speed of play," he said. "She's used to having a ton of time and space around her to kind of do what she wants to do. And at this level, you don't have time to think, you just have to act. She's figuring that out."
Jobson said that Japic, who scored off a free kick in a 2-1, double-overtime loss at Iowa State, could "probably play anywhere on the field."
"We really had penned her as a center midfield player," Jobson said. "Then, when we started putting the pieces together, realized we had some holes in the back and we were kind of trying to figure out who would fit best into that center back position. Chloe fit perfectly into it. She sees the field really well, [is] vocal as a freshman, [and] understands the game and has done well there."
Japic remembers the adjustment period she went through during the preseason and first few games.
"We came in, and we were kind of thrown in to just everything," Japic said. "Both Sarah [Hornyak] and I came in as midfielders, and then the coaches were like, 'We're going to throw you in the back.' But really, I think just kind of being thrown into the deep end forced us all to adjust really fast. And 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."
Hornyak, who was also asked to transition into a backline role alongside Japic, admitted that at the beginning of the season she thought, "Oh my gosh, I don't know if I can do this."
"I've always been someone that loves to dribble, and I learned really fast in the first couple of weeks… just pass the ball, have to be quicker, have to get out of the back," Hornyak said. "I find myself trying to get too far forward sometimes, just because I used to be a midfielder. I need to be more disciplined and stay back. I learned from messing up a lot, to not do those things anymore, so now I feel more comfortable in my role, and it's good."
Jobson said the freshman defender from Southlake, Texas, is "extremely coachable" and willing to take advice from veterans like senior goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt.
"Her tenacity and her determination and her ability to learn quickly has found her to be a formidable player on the right back position for us," Jobson said. "[She] gets up and down the wing really well."
Mueller, who has been credited with one assist, said that coming into the program she was "keeping a really open mind about everything" and was just hoping that she would "get some minutes and some other freshmen would get some minutes."
"Then, the first game happened, and we had like five starting freshmen," she said. "I was pretty shocked."
Mueller said college soccer feels like "all new territory" compared to her time on a club team back home in Macomb, Mich.
"It was probably the biggest transition I've ever had to deal with and just so quickly and underneath so much pressure," Mueller said. "I went in there kind of expecting a fast game, but being in the game is just totally different. So, that was just a really big shocker for I think a lot of the freshmen."
Unlike the other freshmen, Mueller was able to get a head start practicing with the team during spring training after graduating high school early.
"She has had to learn what defense is, for sure – that wasn't something that was required of her at the club level," Jobson said. "But, she has actually enjoyed it and has taken to it very quickly. She's great offensively, and we'll see that even more as she develops."
As the season has progressed, the freshmen have learned to lean on each other, as well as their veteran teammates.
Mueller said she has learned a lot from senior midfielder Ally Henderson.
"Ally has helped me tremendously," Mueller said. "From game one to the last game we played, she has helped me in every area, especially the defending piece. She talks to me all the time and just guides me on the field and is just a really big help."
Hornyak said both new and old players have helped coach her as she continues to adjust from the midfield position to playing defense.
"Kayley [Ables], [Sarah] Norman and Jen [Wandt], they all say 'no goal patrol', so that's just the goal of the game. Even if it's ugly sometimes, just get that ball out of the goal," Hornyak said. "Having them help me out is huge. And also, Chloe may be a freshman, but… she really plays like a veteran as well. So, it's great to have everyone back there in my backline with me."
According to Anthony, the players are becoming really tight-knit, which translates into how they play on the field.
"We've started working better together, and even just off the field, our camaraderie is so strong," said Anthony, a freshman forward from Wheaton, Ill. "We're so much more relaxed, and we're starting to know each other's runs. We've kind of figured out like where to go and what our strengths are and how to use that."
Moon praised the freshmen for their contributions and said they have been a "huge asset" to the team."
"They've just amazed all of us," she said. "They've really stepped up to the plate, and it's hard to do as a freshman, but we're proud of them and we're hoping that they continue to do well."
Players Mentioned
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