SOC Set for Road Swing at San Francisco, Gonzaga

BAYLOR VS SAN FRANCISCO
Thursday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m.
San Francisco, Calif.
Negoesco Stadium
Video: WCC Network

BAYLOR VS GONZAGA
Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m.
Spokane, Wash.
Luger Field
Video: Wcc Network

BAYLOR BEARS
2022 Record: 2-2-2
Head Coach: Michelle Lenard (North Texas, 2003)
Career Record: 203-77-27 (15th season)
BU Record: 2-2-2 (1st season)

SAN FRANCISCO DONS
2022 Record:  2-1-2
Head Coach: Jim Millinder (Cal St. Dom. Hills, 1993)
Career Record: 219-172-47 (23rd season)
San Francisco Record: 75-75-22 (10th season)

GONZAGA BULLDOGS
2022 Record: 1-2-2
Head Coach: Chris Watkins (BYU, 1996)
Career Record: 55-28-9 (6th season)
Gonzaga Record: 55-28-9 (6th season)

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Having already won two of its first three road games, Baylor soccer (2-2-2) will make a West Coast swing this week to face San Francisco (2-1-2) at 6 p.m. CDT Thursday in California and Gonzaga (1-2-2) at 3 p.m. Sunday in Spokane, Wash.
            "Well, we're winning more on the road than we are at home right now, so we'll take it," first-year head coach Michelle Lenard said. "This is a long trip, but who can complain about going out to California? Sometimes on the road, it's a little easier to focus on game time. So, we'll do what we can to go on the road and get some results."
            After a 3-0 shutout of Houston last Thursday on the road, the Bears remained winless at home (0-1-2) with Sunday's 0-0 draw with Iowa.
            "Obviously, we didn't win against Iowa," junior midfielder Blythe Obar said, "but from Houston to Iowa, our press and just the way that we played was a lot better. Even though we didn't win, I still think as a team we were a lot better."
            Eight matches in – including two exhibition games – Lenard said the Bears have "learned the way we want to play, we're very committed to that style of play."
            "Now, it's just a matter of putting the pieces together, especially as we wrap up non-conference play over these next three games and get ready for Big 12 play," Lenard said "But, I thought (the Iowa game) was a game that we let slip away. We really thought we should have won that one, but there were a lot more positives than negatives to take away."
            One of the positives out of the week was a first-career goal by freshman defender Hallie Augustyn, who was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week. Augustyn knocked in a goal in the eighth minute of the Houston game off a corner kick by Gabby Mueller.
            "Hallie's been knocking on the door in a couple of set-play situations," Lenard said of Augustyn. "She's been in great position on corners and free kicks already, she's excellent in the air. Everybody was really happy for her to have that moment and get up and score that corner. And then, she had a really good game against Iowa as well. Both of the twins are very well loved by the team, and I know everybody was really excited for them."
            Led by sophomore forward Marissa Vasquez, who had a hat trick in a 4-0 season-opening win at Portland State, the San Francisco Dons suffered their only loss against current No. 6 Stanford (3-0) and are coming off a 1-1 tie with California. Gonzaga has had a challenging early schedule, tying Oregon, 2-2, and falling 3-2 to now-No. 23 Texas.
            "They're different, both of them from each other," Lenard said, "but neither of them is all that different from teams we've come up against already. Right now, where we are in the season, we're focused on us, what we're doing, on execution. Every opponent is going to come out and make it difficult and cause us problems, and we're getting better at problem solving. Now, it's just a matter of execution."
            Baylor is playing both San Francisco and Gonzaga for the second time in program history. The Bears defeated the Bulldogs, 2-1, three years in Waco and tied the Dons, 1-1, last year when the game was halted in the 71^st minute because of a heat advisory.

STORY LINES

Baylor is going on a two-game road swing this week, facing San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 8, and then Gonzaga on Sunday Sept. 11, in Spokane, Wash.
The Bears and USF have met one time previously on Sept. 19, 2021 in Waco, Texas. The game ended in a 1-1 tie after it was called in the 71st minute for a heat advisory.
Against the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the Bears hold the all-time 1-0 record defeating them on Sept. 22, 2019, 2-1.
BU played its 5th and 6th games of the season last weekend, defeating Houston on the road, 3-0 before returning home to tie Iowa, 0-0
Head coach Michelle Lenard picked up her first win at Baylor in last Thursday's matchup, defeating the Gators, 2-1.
Scoring the most goals in a game this season, Baylor had three different players find the back of the net in the Bears 3-0 victory. Freshman, Hallie Augustyn scored the first goal of her career in the 8th minute off of a corner from Gabby Mueller. The Bears scored on another set piece in the 29th minute as Ashley Merrill netted her second goal of the season off of a corner from Jenna Patterson. In the second half, Maddie Algya scored her first goal of the season on a cross from Patterson, who picked up her second assist of the game, tying a career-high for her.
Returning home, Baylor took on Iowa after a two-hour weather delay where the game ended in a 0-0 draw. Despite the no score, BU dominated the game, out shooting the Hawkeyes 11-4, 6-2 on goal. As seven Bears played all 90 minutes of the match, every defender played the whole game creating a solid backline.
Iowa's two shots on goal marked the first time since Oct. 21, 2021, that the Bears have held an opponent to two or less shots on goal.
Freshman, Hallie Augustyn earned the Bears first Big 12 weekly award, as she was tabbed the conference's Freshamn of the Week for her work against Houston and Iowa.
BU has had 24 different players see playing time this season, with 11 of them being newcomers to the team.
Of Baylor's 15 newcomers, 11 of them played in the first four games of the season for the Bears: Skye Leach, Hallie Augustyn, Hannah Augustyn, Micah Beasley, Trinity Egerton, Kylie Finney, Annika Fredell, Madison Martin, Ashley Merrill, Blythe Obar and Jenna Patterson.
Ashley Merrill's two goals and 15 shots, 10 on goal, lead the Bears.
Goalkeeper Lauren Traywick has started in five of the Bears six games this season, tallying a career-high nine saves against No. 1 North Carolina and recorded eight at Houston last week.
For Gabby Mueller's game winning goal against the Gators, 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 for Road Swing at San Francisco, Gonzaga

Players Mentioned

Kayley Ables

Maddie Algya

Hallie Augustyn

Hannah Augustyn

Micah Beasley

Trinity Egerton

Kylie Finney

Annika Fredell

Skye Leach

Madison Martin

Ashley Merrill

Taylor Moon

Gabby Mueller

Blythe Obar

Jenna Patterson

Lauren Traywick

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