SOC Facing Oregon at Home Sunday

Sunday, September 12

7 PM

Baylor

Oregon

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SOC Facing Oregon at Home Sunday

9/10/2021 2:57:00 PM | Soccer

Game Notes

BAYLOR VS. OREGON
Sunday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
Betty Lou Mays Field
Video: Bid 12 Now on ESPN+

BAYLOR BEARS
2021 Record: 3-2-1
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 92-54-21 (9^th season)
BU: 92-54-21 (9^th season)

OREGON DUCKS
2021 Record: 3-0-2
Head Coach: Graeme Abel
Career Record: 9-5-7 (2^nd Season)
Oregon Record: 9-5-7 (2^nd Season)

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Chloe Japic didn't realize how much she missed Betty Lou Mays Field until she was back on it last week for the practices before a two-game road swing.
            Sidelined for Baylor's only two home games this season, the sophomore midfielder will play her first regular-season home game in five months when the Bears (3-2-1) host the undefeated Oregon Ducks (3-0-2) at 7 p.m. Sunday.
            "You don't realize how much you miss this quality grass, this surface, this environment, until you're back here," Japic said. "I'm really excited for our game on Sunday to be back at home, under these lights, with our fans here to support us."
            Baylor survived its second extended road trip of the season, knocking off North Texas, 2-0, last Thursday before battling to a 0-0 double-overtime tie with Wisconsin on Sunday.
            "We were a lot healthier, obviously, but we're continuing to build on our consistency," said Baylor coach Paul Jobson, who had Japic and junior midfielder Maddie Algya come back off the injury list. "That's what we've been working on this year is, how can we be consistent from minute one to minute 90? And I think we did a good job with that this weekend."
            While road trips can help build team chemistry, Jobson said it will be good to be home for the next two weeks "just to sleep in our own beds, recovery is always better, our girls do better when they're able to get to class and study. So, that's a thing we do better when we're at home. It's good just to be home for a bit."
            The Bears begin a three-game home stand with Sunday's matchup against Oregon and then host SFA (1-3-1) and San Francisco (2-2-1) next week at Betty Lou Mays Field.
            "I didn't realize how much I like playing at home until we were gone for five days," said sophomore forward Mackenzie Anthony, who leads the team with three goals and seven points. "It makes a huge difference."
            Oregon is having a breakout season under second-year head coach Graeme Abel, a former Oklahoma assistant coach who served on the staff for the U.S. Women's National in 2015-19. The Ducks recorded their first winning season since 2006 in the spring and remained unbeaten this fall with a 1-0 win over Texas on Thursday in Austin.
            "I think (the games against Texas and Baylor) will be two really good challenges to see where their program is," Jobson said. "They've got some really good, talented players, very athletic. That presents some challenges, but I think we'll be ready for that."
            After scoring 12 goals in 16 games in the spring-only season, the Ducks have already netted 14 in the first five games of the 2021 season. Ally Cook leads the Pac-12 with four goals, while Zoe Hasenauer got the game-winner against Texas in the 87^th minute and ranks fourth on Oregon's career list with 14 assists.
            Baylor has scored nine goals in its first six games and has been shut out twice, but Anthony said "we're starting to connect more and finish our chances."
            "I'm happy with our attack," Jobson said, "and we'll bring Taylor (Moon) back pretty soon as well and add more depth there. But, I really like where we are in the attack. We're creating some great opportunities and we're really starting to get into our groove and our rhythm. I think we'll score a lot more goals here soon."
            Sunday's game will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

STORY LINES

Baylor is back at home this week after they spent last weekend in Denton, Texas and Madison, Wisconsin taking on both programs in road matchups.
The 2021 season marks the 25th anniversary of the Baylor Soccer program. To celebrate, BU unveiled an updated crest for the season.
The Bears are facing off against the Oregon Ducks on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. on Betty Lou Mays Field. The Ducks are traveling to Waco after defeating Texas 1-0 in Austin on Thursday. They are now 3-0-2 overall this season.
Baylor started their road contests last Thursday Sept. 2 where they defeated the Mean Green in Denton 2-0. This marked only the second time since 2019 that North Texas had been beaten on their home pitch. Th Bears came out hot picking up both goals in the first half. Maddie Algya placed the first goal in the right left corner to go up 1-0 in the 16th minute after a North Texas hand ball led to a penalty kick. Following it up in the 30th minute Mackenzie Anthony battled the Mean Green one-on-one down the pitch bouncing one off the post to bring Baylor's lead to 2-0.
In the Bears 2-0 win against North Texas, Jennifer Wandt recorded her 34th career shutout pushing her to 4th all-time in the Big 12. She recorded four more saves last week brining her yearly total to 20.
The team then headed north to Madison, Wisconsin to battle the Badgers on Sunday, Sept. 5. Baylor recorded a double overtime draw against Wisconsin, 0-0. The Bears found their rhythm in the second half and Maddie Algya recorded the only shot in the first half. Baylor recorded more shots on goal with four total to the Badgers two. Heading into double overtime, Elizabeth Kooiman placed a shot towards the bottom left of the net in the 106th but was barely swatted away by the Badger goalkeeper. Jennifer Wandt recorded a save in the 104th minute to stop Wisconsin from the game winning goal.
Chloe Japic returned to the field for the Bears after missing the last two home games due to injury. She played all 200 minutes last week.
Maddie Algya and Mackenzie Anthony both finished the week with seven total shots between the two games.
Other Bears that recorded shots last week include Sarah Hornyak (2), Kayley Ables (1), and Lorelai Stramrood (1).
Settling in on the backline for Baylor are Ava Colberg, Sarah Norman and Kayley Ables. They are joined by Chloe Japic and Sarah Hornyak who have been a little more versatile to the Bears so far this season. Together with goalkeeper Wandt, they have held opponents to just four goals this season.
Sunday's matchup against Oregon will be just the second time in program history that these two teams are meeting. The only other meeting took place on Sept. 19, 1997 where the Bears defeated the Ducks 2-1.