SOC Set to Face Texas in Austin

BAYLOR VS TEXAS
Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.
Austin, Texas
Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field
Video: Longhorn Network

BAYLOR BEARS
2022 Record: 2-5-2
Head Coach: Michelle Lenard (North Texas, 2003)
Career Record: 203-82-27 (15th season)
BU Record: 2-5-2 (1st season)

TEXAS LONGHORNS
2022 Record:  7-1-3
Head Coach: Angela Kelly (North Carolina, 1994)
Career Record: 270-151-49 (23rd season)
UT Record: 110-67-29 (11th season)

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Trying to break a four-game winless streak, Baylor soccer (2-5-2, 0-1-0) will face a hot Texas Longhorn team (7-1-3, 1-0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field in Austin.
            Riding a nine-game unbeaten streak, the Longhorns haven't lost since falling to North Carolina, 2-0, on Aug. 25 and are tied for eighth nationally with a Big 12-high 32 goals. Sophomore forward Trinity Byars has scored a league-best 10 goals and scored twice in Sunday's 2-0 win at Texas Tech.
            "Obviously a great team, they've been on a roll," said Baylor coach Michelle Lenard. "They've got a couple of dangerous attacking players in Byars and (Lexie) Missimo. . . . If we're disciplined and defend well as a unit, I think we can limit their opportunities on goal. And I don't think they're players that we can't find answers to. We're just going to have to show some discipline."
            Baylor has struggled offensively, scoring just seven goals in nine games, but the Bears have started getting healthier with the return of freshman forwards Morgan Greensage and Reneta Vargas. Greensage played 40 minutes and had one of the team's 12 shots in last Friday's 2-0 loss at home to Oklahoma.
            "They aren't fit to play a lot of minutes, but they can come in and add value of maybe 10 or 15 minutes at a time," Lenard said. "They've been out for a while, but both of them are true 9's (center forwards) and will be able to give us a presence in the center forward position that we've been trying to put a winger in there, an attacking midfielder in there, but no one that really has a lot of experience in that position. Both of them have a mindset for it."
            Freshman defender Hannah Augustyn, who scored the Bears' last goal three weeks ago in a 3-1 loss at San Francisco, said it's great "just to see the joy on their faces to put on that uniform and get to step out on the field."
            Sophomore midfielder Micah Beasley, who has had three of her six shots on goal, said Greensage and Vargas "really bring something that we've been lacking."
            The Bears struggled in defensive transition against OU, giving up a goal in each half and getting out-shot, 15-12.
            "That was a poor strategic decision on my part, honestly," Lenard said. "We changed the system a little bit, and it did give us some attacking advantages, which is what we were going for. And when we didn't capitalize on those advantages, we got stretched in transition moments. Sometimes, when you get caught in those moments, discipline can go out the window. Going back to four in the back, I don't think that we'll see that sort of transition challenge."
            Texas has won four of the last five meetings and leads the all-time series with Baylor, 16-9-5.
            "We see a lot of possession play," Beasley said of the Longhorns. "They like to play balls over the top now and then, but they really like to keep the ball, they have pace and they're really skilled in the final third."
            Friday's game will be streamed live by the Longhorn Network.

STORY LINES

Baylor will continue conference play Friday night, traveling to play Texas at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field at 7 p.m. in Austin, Texas.
In the last meeting between these two teams, Baylor battled the No. 25 ranked Longhorns through a double overtime 0-0 draw in Waco. The Bears shut down a Texas offense that was on an eight-game scoring streak. Two of the three threats from last year's match are returning for the Longhorns.
This match marks a little over halfway in the season and they Bears are 2-5-2 overall, 0-1-0 in conference play.
BU is coming off of a conference opener at home, hosting OU and falling 2-0 in the match. The Sooners netted one goal in each half to take the win.
This marks the third-straight week the Bears have played just one game a week.
Texas is coming off of a 1-0-1 week to begin conference play, as they tied No. 12 TCU 1-1 and defeated Texas Tech 2-0.
This is the second time this season Baylor is traveling to Austin. The Bears previously traveled south to take on Florida and No. 1 North Carolina and finished the weekend 1-1-0, defeating the Gators and falling to the top-ranked team.
Goalkeepers Lauren Traywick and Madison Martin have shared time in goal this season, with Martin getting the start in goal to begin conference play last week.
With the Bears' cancelation at Gonzaga, BU has now had four matches so far this season disrupted by weather. Two have been delayed due to lightning and rain, one has been moved up due to incoming weather and the last canceled due to unhealthy air quality in Spokane, Wash.
Freshman, Hallie Augustyn earned the Bears' first Big 12 weekly award, as she was tabbed the conference's Freshman of the Week for her work against Houston and Iowa on Sept. 6, 2021.
BU has had 25 different players see playing time this season, with 12 of them being newcomers to the team.
Freshman Morgan Greensage, who was coming back from an injury, played in her first career game last week against Oklahoma. She played 40 minutes of the match, narrowly missing an equalizing goal in the second half.
Ashley Merrill's two goals and 20 shots, 12 on goal, lead the Bears.
For Gabby Mueller's game winning goal against Florida on Aug. 25, she was named Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week Honorable Mention.
Kayley Ables was the lone Baylor player named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. A fifth-year senior for the program, she has been a key component to the Baylor backline, aka the "No-Goal Patrol."
Taylor Moon was named a preseason Forward to Watch this season by United Soccer Coaches.
With coach Lenard's new playing philosophy, BU defeated both LSU (3-1) and UTSA (2-1) in preseason exhibition matches with five different Baylor players scoring goals.
The NCAA has done away with overtime during the regular season this year, meaning that every game will end at the end of the 90-minute regulation time.

- BaylorBears.com -

SOC Set to Face Texas in Austin

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Players Mentioned

Kayley Ables

Hallie Augustyn

Hannah Augustyn

Micah Beasley

Morgan Greensage

Madison Martin

Ashley Merrill

Taylor Moon

Gabby Mueller

Lauren Traywick

Reneta Vargas

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