SOC Faces Texas Tech at Home Thursday

Thursday, September 30

7 PM

Baylor

Texas Tech

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SOC Faces Texas Tech at Home Thursday

9/29/2021 2:12:00 PM | Soccer

Game Notes

BAYLOR VS. TEXAS TECH
Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.
Betty Lou Mays Field
Video: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

BAYLOR BEARS
2021 Record: 6-2-3
Head Coach: Paul Jobson
Career: 95-54-23 (9^th season)
BU: 95-54-23 (9^th season)

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
2021 Record: 9-1-1
Head Coach: Tom Stone
Career Record: 168-90-35 (15^h Season)
TTU Record: 168-90-35 (15^h Season)

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            After capping a September to remember with road wins over Oklahoma State and then-No. 8 TCU, the Baylor soccer team (6-2-3, 2-0-0) returns home to host Texas Tech (9-1-1, 2-0-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
            "When you look at our conference slate, and you've got to hit the road for the first two and you're facing two of the favorites going into the year . . . it looks like a tall task," Baylor coach Paul Jobson said. "But, our girls have put together a great body of work leading up to conference play to get ready for that. You have to prove it, right? And they showed they were ready."
            In arguably one of the most impressive road trips in the program's 26-year history, the Bears took down two of the league's top three preseason favorites, including a TCU team coming off its first Big 12 regular-season title. That finished off a month of September that saw Baylor go undefeated with four wins and three ties, with four games on the road.
            "It's always exciting to win on the road," said fifth-year senior Jennifer Wandt, who broke Dawn Greathouse's school record with her 49^th and 50^th wins to earn Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors. "No matter who you play, it's hard to win and get six points on the road. I know we were just excited to start Big 12 off that way."
            Riding an eight-game unbeaten streak that started with a 2-1 overtime win over SMU on Aug. 29, the Bears have netted 16 goals in that stretch. Sophomore Mackenzie Anthony scored goals in five out of the first six games in that stretch, but eight other players have netted goals this season.
            "(Elizabeth) Kooiman has come alive this year on the wing and is really doing some great things," Jobson said. "Taylor Moon, Mack, we're really getting it in a lot of different places. I think we're multi-dimensional and we're dangerous in a lot of areas. We're not the team that you shut down the one goal scorer and you've locked us down. We have a lot of different areas where we can hurt you."
            Moon, who is second on the team with three goals (Anthony has six), said it takes the pressure off her when there's so many threats around her.
            "I know we struggled a little bit last year (with finishing), so I think it's exciting that we all get to share that," Moon said. "When teams scout us, they can't be like, 'Oh, we're just going to mar, this one person and they won't score.' We have a bunch of different (goal scorers) that we know will get the job done, no matter what."
            As hot as Baylor has been, the Bears get a Texas Tech team that has been every bit as hot. The Red Raiders opened league play with home-field wins over Oklahoma and Texas and are led by reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week Kirsten Davis, who is fourth in the country with 10 goals scored in 11 games.
            "She's scored buckets of goals," Jobson said of Davis, who had her first hat trick in the 7-0 win over the Sooners. "They're good, and their record shows they're good. They have a fast-paced offense, they're athletic. Tom (Stone) is a good coach. He's been there for a while and does a great job. He always has good players, and it's always a great match between us."
            Baylor earned two Player of the Week awards, with senior defender Sarah Norman joining Wandt as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
            "I feel like we're a defensive team, we always have been, and our defenders never get recognized," Jobson said. "So, for Norman in her last year here to finally get some recognition is a big deal. Not just for her but for our entire backline."
            Baylor gets a rare weekend off before making a trip next week to the Sunflower State, facing Kansas next Thursday, Oct. 7, in Lawrence and Kansas State three days later in Manhattan.
            Even after opening league play with the two big road wins, Moon said the Bears "have the same mentality to work hard every day."
            "We don't look at any of the stats or the rankings, because we know that doesn't even matter where we are right now," she said. "It matters where we end up in the Big 12 and how we get seeded going into the NCAAs. I think we all buy into that mentality that has been instilled in us. That's why we are being so successful right now."

STORY LINES

Baylor is set to host its first home conference game of the season as they Take on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech Thursday, Sept. 30. Both Baylor and Texas Tech are 2-0 in conference play to begin the season.
Texas Tech is 9-1-1 so far this season recently beating Oklahoma and Kansas State to begin conference play.
Baylor and Texas Tech are 17-7-4 all-time with the last matchup ending a 0-0 (2 OT) draw. As head coach, Paul Jobson is 3-2-2 against the Red Raiders.
The Bears are coming off of a hot start to conference play taking on top preseason conference picks Oklahoma State and No. 8 TCU on the road and bringing back two wins.
Baylor started their road trip in Stillwater, Oklahoma where they took on the Cowgirls to open conference play last Thursday. Scoring a goal in each half, Taylor Moon recorded a goal in the first half of the game with an assist from Maddie Algya. It was Olivia Mack who found the net in the second half for her first goal of the season assisted by Jennifer Wandt and Lorelai Stramrood.
Back in Texas to take on ranked TCU, the Bears showed up big dominating most of the game and taking the 2-1 win. Taylor Moon recorded her second goal in as many games in the first half giving the Bears the 1-0 lead into halftime. Within the first five minutes of the second half, Elizabeth Kooiman found the net for the second time this season putting Baylor up 2-0. The Bears back line held the Horned Frogs scoreless until the 83rd minute when TCU scored on a penalty kick.
Jennifer Wandt picked up career wins No. 49 and 50 last week bringing her to the top spot on the Baylor record books. She surpassed Dawn Greathouse (49) for most all-time career wins at Baylor.
Baylor's win over TCU marked the first win over a ranked opponent since Oct. 9, 2020 when the Bears defeated No. 5 Kansas.
The two goals scored against TCU are the most the Horned Frogs have allowed an opponent this season.
Maddie Algya recorded two assists last week matching her total assists for last season.
Sarah Norman and Jennifer Wandt where both named Big 12 Players of the Week this week. This marked the first-career Big 12 weekly award for Norman, who with the help of the Baylor back line help opponents to just two goals this past week. Wandt picked up Goalkeeper of the Week accolade for the third time already this season. This marks her eighth career weekly award.
Baylor hasn't recorded a loss since Aug. 26 finishing its last eight games in either a win or tie.
Baylor moved to the 26th spot in RPI this week. Already this season Baylor has recorded wins over No. 10 ranked TCU, No. 14 ranked SMU, and a draw against No. 18 ranked Wisconsin.
Sarah Norman, Sarah Hornyak, Ally Henderson-Ashkinos, and Ava Colberg played all 180 minutes last week.
Three Bears made an impact off the bench this week with Olivia Mack recording 50 minutes and a goal, Haven Terry playing 22 minutes, and Chloe Brown playing 41.
Also making appearances where Lorelai Stramrood who recorded an assist, Kate Zimmerman, and Giuliana Cunningham