Baylor
Iowa State
SOC Heads North to Face Iowa State
9/24/2020 8:00:00 AM | Soccer
Bears have won five of their last six contests in Ames
 |
BAYLOR BEARS (0-0-2) Location: Waco, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Paul Jobson (Presbyterian, 1999) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
BAYLOR (0-0-2) at IOWA STATE (0-2) Sept. 25, 2020 • 6 p.m. CT Ames, Iowa • Cyclone Sports Complex Live Stats: baylorstats.com WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ Baylor Social Media:    |
 |
IOWA STATE CYCLONES (0-2) Location: Ames, Iowa Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Matt Fannon (Davis & Elkins, 2009) Roster | Stats (PDF) | Game Notes (PDF) |
|
By Meredith Pratt
On the road again this week, the Baylor soccer team (0-0-2) is set to face Iowa State (0-2) at 6 p.m. Friday at the Cyclone Sports Complex.
The Bears opened the season with a pair of double-overtime scoreless draws against TCU and Texas Tech and are currently fifth in the Big 12 standings with the two points from the two ties. West Virginia and Oklahoma State are tied atop the league standings with 2-0-0 records and six points.
Baylor head coach Paul Jobson said he's been impressed by the maturity he's seen on the field so far this season.
"Those are great results, especially with our young team," Jobson said. "I hate to keep saying young team, because it's not an excuse or anything, I'm more proud of how mature this young team actually is and how they're playing up to the level of two of the top teams in our conference (from the preseason poll). They step up to that challenge."
Although he is pleased with the team's standing in the conference standings, Jobson said he has his sights set on winning this game.
"We can't finish with all ties and have nine points and win a conference championship, we're going to have to get a victory here," Jobson said. "We're going to have to get some victories on the board, but I'm encouraged by where we are and how we're trending, even after just two weeks. We know there will be some bumps along the road, but I hope we are the team that we think we are, that can weather the storm a bit and come out with the results that we need to win the Big 12 championship this year."
Baylor is 18-7-2 all-time versus Iowa State. Of those 18 wins against the Cyclones, 14 have been shutouts. The Bears have also won five of their last six contests in Ames.
One player that will be key in Baylor's defense against Iowa State is senior defender Kayley Ables, who was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week.
Senior goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt commended Ables for her contribution to the team's defense this season.
"Overall, as a whole team, we just have been defending great, and Kayley Ables has been exceptional with that," Wandt said. "It's definitely been nice seeing that recognition with Kayley, because she totally deserves it. Hopefully that will fuel her fire to just be even better."
Wandt has the opportunity to break the Baylor all-time record for career shutouts this Friday, as she is currently tied for the program's best mark set by Dawn Greathouse (1997-00) with 27 career shutouts.
Freshman Sarah Hornyak said the goalkeeper's leadership has helped her adjust from playing midfielder to defender this season.
"With training and with the help of our veterans like Jen [Wandt] and [Sarah] Norman, and all the coaching staff here, I just gained confidence throughout the games," Hornyak said. "TCU was a big learning experience for me, just because we hadn't played 11 at that high of a tempo and speed. At the Tech game, I settled into it more, and realized that one mistake can change the whole game. But, with my veterans coaching me and the coaches, it's been pretty good so far."
Hornyak said she believes Baylor's next step will be to kick the offense up a notch.
"With all the practice that we've had, Coach (Jobson) always says 'defense first,'" Hornyak said. "We've done defense first, and now we're just looking to work on the offense."
While the Bears are eager to get their first win on the board, Jobson knows Iowa State will put up a fight.
"[Iowa State] took Oklahoma State, which were the Big 12 champions last year, to the wire, losing on a penalty kick. They've got a lot of excitement and encouragement from that last weekend coming into our match," Jobson said.
"We've had some knock-down, drag-out matches over the years with them, and some heartbreaking results up there that we haven't forgotten about, either. We know it'll be a tough match up there, but one we are looking forward to."
Friday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
STORY LINES
- Baylor is back on the road to take on Iowa State. The match will be aired on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
- Kayley Ables was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second-consecutive week. She is 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 Jennifer Wandt in 2018. Ables thwarted All-American Kirsten Davis in a 0-0 draw against Texas Tech. She continued to break up action down her side of the field in addition to winning first-chance balls in the air. She was a key cog in Baylor holding one of the league's top offenses scoreless off 12 shots.
- The Bears are coming off their second-straight double-overtime scoreless draw, this time on the road at Texas Tech. BU was more aggressive from the start and ending the match outshooting the Red Raiders, 16-12.
- Jennifer Wandt finished with her 27th career shutout. She is now tied for the program's best mark set by Dawn Greathouse (1997-00).
- Wandt is one of five goalkeepers across the country with two shutouts to start the season.
- Three freshmen set a career high in minutes played - Sarah Hornyak (110), Gabby Mueller (93) and Mackenzie Anthony (102).
- Julia Phelan made her Baylor debut against Texas Tech and logged eight minutes.
- The Bears return 14 letterwinners from a year ago, including eight starters. Leading the way are midfielder Ally Henderson and defender Sarah Norman, who each topped the team a year ago in minutes played, along with Wandt.
- Henderson is one assist away from tying for eighth in program history with 13 career assists. Last season, she recorded a stretch of four games with an assist from Sept. 22 to Oct. 3.
- Wandt looks to move up in the Baylor record books in a few categories: Third in career saves (210), third in career goalkeeper minutes (6002), first in career solo shutouts (27) and second in career wins (39).
- Elizabeth Kooiman returns after finishing last season as a unanimous selection to the Big 12 All-Freshman team. The forward looks to build off a year that saw her net the program's first hat trick since 2010 as she finished the season as the Big 12 leader in shot accuracy.
- Many new faces will take the field for Baylor this season as BU welcomes in 14 freshmen, one of the largest incoming classes in program history.
- Eight freshmen have already made their debuts for the Bears: Hornyak, Mueller, Anthony, Chloe Japic, Olivia Mack, Abby Schmidt, Chloe Brown and Phelan.
- Head coach Paul Jobson returns for his eighth season at the helm (13th season overall) at Baylor. He is the program's all-time wins leader (84) after passing his wife, Marci (78, 2008-14) last year.
- Baylor was picked seventh in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and received one first-place vote.
- Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field has undergone some recent upgrades. After a new pitch was installed with an updated drainage system in 2019, new LED lights were added in August.
- Baylor is 18-7-2 all-time vs. Iowa State. The Bears have won seven of the last eight meetings between the two teams with the lone loss coming at home in 2016.
- While BU is 6-5 all-time in Ames, The Bears have won five of their last six contests in Ames.
- Of Baylor's 18 wins against the Cyclones, 14 of them have been shutouts.
- The Bears topped Iowa State, 2-0, last season in Waco. BU came out firing, taking two shots in the first 75 seconds and finished outshooting ISU, 16-3, in the first half. Overall, Baylor outshot Iowa State, 25-7 (11-1 on goal).
- Marissa Gray netted her first career goal vs. the Cyclones in the 31st minute of play from 20 feet out to the left side.
