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11/22/2025 11:54:00 PM | Soccer
SOC: Fifth-seeded Bears taking it one step, one game at a time
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sixth-year senior midfielder Kai Hayes, the only player on Baylor soccer's roster that has ever made it to an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, is just "trying to stay in the present."
But that's hard to do when the realization hits that you're a win away from Baylor's third Elite Eight and two wins from the program's first-ever trip to the College Cup. The 23rd-ranked and fifth-seeded Bears (14-4-4) face unseeded Ohio State (10-4-6) at 2 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. CT Sunday in a Round of 16 matchup at Notre Dame's Alumni Stadium.
"Obviously, those thoughts creep in," said Hayes, who was on the field when North Carolina gave up a goal in the 89th minute of a 4-3 loss to top-seeded BYU in the 2023 NCAA quarterfinals. "But you only have today promised, as it's been reiterated over and over and over. Just being grateful for right where our feet are and trying not to get too far ahead."
This is a Baylor team that had certainly taken steps in coach Michelle Lenard's first three seasons. But this is the Bears' deepest run since the 2018 team lost to Georgetown (3-0) in the NCAA quarterfinals.
"I know it does feel like that, maybe from the outside, but I've seen this happen like this," Lenard said. "All of a sudden, it starts clicking, and you're taking that next big step. But really, it's a bunch of little steps. Same thing is going to be true for us to get to that next step, whatever that might be, if it's the Elite Eight or anything after that. Just win the little moments, and eventually they add up to big moments."
Seeded fifth in the region, the Bears advanced through the first round with a dominating 3-0 win over Texas State before beating fourth-seeded Wisconsin, 1-0, Thursday on a penalty-kick goal by senior midfielder Tyler Isgrig.
Three years ago, Isgrig was in this same situation with a fourth-seeded TCU team that lost 2-0 to top-seeded Notre Dame in a Sweet 16 game on the Fighting Irish's home field.
"I think it's really special to see how far this program has come, especially since I came my sophomore year," said Isgrig, voted the Big 12 Midfielder of the Year this season. "And it being my senior year, too, is really special to me as well. It just shows the fight, especially in the second half (against Wisconsin), how much we had to fight and defend. It just shows how ruthless and how tough we are in those moments, too."
After taking the 1-0 lead on Isgrig's penalty-kick goal in the final minute of the first half, Baylor had to hold off a relentless attack by the Badgers, who outshot the Bears, 13-4, in the second half. It was Baylor's 12th shutout of the season and 11th solo shutout by goalkeeper Azul Alvarez, who is tied for fifth in the country.
"Michelle says all the time, 'Bend don't break,''' Hayes said. "And that's what it felt like. I'm so proud of the team that we were able to get through that and add another brick in our toolbox to go into the next game."
While the Badgers dominated possession, especially in the second half, they didn't have a lot of dangerous chances at the goal.
"I feel like watching, it looks stressful," Hayes said. "But in the game, it didn't feel like it was. Were they coming down our throats? Maybe not down the middle, I guess, but it wasn't stressful in the sense of, 'Okay, they're going to break us.' It was just, 'Okay, just keep your spaces, it's all going to work out; be patient.' And it turned out that way."
Lenard said the Bears have to do a better job of adjusting and problem solving when teams press forward like that, "but it's a combination of problem-solving and just finding solutions in the moment."
"We can prepare as much as we want," she said. "But anyone can come out there with a new game plan or change the game plan halfway through the game. That's kind of what happened to us (against Wisconsin). You've got to do whatever it takes. Sometimes, just put out the fire, and you can figure out later if that was the right choice. But if you put out the fire, that's all that matters."
Baylor gets an Ohio State team that has pulled off back-to-back upsets of eighth-seeded Georgia (2-0) and No. 1 overall national seed Notre Dame, scoring a golden goal in the final minute of the second overtime to beat the Fighting Irish, 1-0. The Buckeyes are making their second-straight Sweet 16 and sixth in program history.
"While it seems like an upset, and obviously it was, they didn't get here for nothing," Lenard said of the Buckeyes. "They're gritty, they work really hard and they've got good chemistry. I knew if they could keep it close, anything could happen. And something did happen.
"They deserve to be here as well, and we will take them very seriously. I think the biggest advantage is just that we're not dealing with a home crowd. But they're very motivated. They're flying high off a big result. That's a lot of momentum and energy coming off a late win like that against what was currently the No. 1-ranked team in the country. So, we have to match that."
Ohio State goalkeeper Molly Pritchard has recorded 10 shutouts, helping the Buckeyes rank seventh nationally in goals-against average (.544).
Baylor, picked 10th in the Big 12 preseason poll, is one of five teams from the league still alive in the Round of 16. Also advancing were TCU, BYU, Colorado and Kansas, matching the ACC (five) for the most in the country.
"When I went to shake (the Wisconsin coach's) hand, I turned back and saw the rest of my staff," Lenard said. "I think that's when it hit me. I never felt like we couldn't take that next step. I was just not allowing my mind to think about what was next. That's what we're coaching the players to do – stay in the moment, focus on the here and now. And that's what I was doing. But when we all gathered together, it hit me: this is a pretty exciting moment."
Live stats for Sunday's match will be available online, with updates provided on social media. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+.
To stay up to date throughout the year on all things Baylor Soccer, follow the team on Facebook, X and Instagram: @BaylorFutbol.
- BaylorBears.com -
Baylor Bear Insider
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sixth-year senior midfielder Kai Hayes, the only player on Baylor soccer's roster that has ever made it to an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, is just "trying to stay in the present."
But that's hard to do when the realization hits that you're a win away from Baylor's third Elite Eight and two wins from the program's first-ever trip to the College Cup. The 23rd-ranked and fifth-seeded Bears (14-4-4) face unseeded Ohio State (10-4-6) at 2 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. CT Sunday in a Round of 16 matchup at Notre Dame's Alumni Stadium.
"Obviously, those thoughts creep in," said Hayes, who was on the field when North Carolina gave up a goal in the 89th minute of a 4-3 loss to top-seeded BYU in the 2023 NCAA quarterfinals. "But you only have today promised, as it's been reiterated over and over and over. Just being grateful for right where our feet are and trying not to get too far ahead."
This is a Baylor team that had certainly taken steps in coach Michelle Lenard's first three seasons. But this is the Bears' deepest run since the 2018 team lost to Georgetown (3-0) in the NCAA quarterfinals.
"I know it does feel like that, maybe from the outside, but I've seen this happen like this," Lenard said. "All of a sudden, it starts clicking, and you're taking that next big step. But really, it's a bunch of little steps. Same thing is going to be true for us to get to that next step, whatever that might be, if it's the Elite Eight or anything after that. Just win the little moments, and eventually they add up to big moments."
Seeded fifth in the region, the Bears advanced through the first round with a dominating 3-0 win over Texas State before beating fourth-seeded Wisconsin, 1-0, Thursday on a penalty-kick goal by senior midfielder Tyler Isgrig.
Three years ago, Isgrig was in this same situation with a fourth-seeded TCU team that lost 2-0 to top-seeded Notre Dame in a Sweet 16 game on the Fighting Irish's home field.
"I think it's really special to see how far this program has come, especially since I came my sophomore year," said Isgrig, voted the Big 12 Midfielder of the Year this season. "And it being my senior year, too, is really special to me as well. It just shows the fight, especially in the second half (against Wisconsin), how much we had to fight and defend. It just shows how ruthless and how tough we are in those moments, too."
After taking the 1-0 lead on Isgrig's penalty-kick goal in the final minute of the first half, Baylor had to hold off a relentless attack by the Badgers, who outshot the Bears, 13-4, in the second half. It was Baylor's 12th shutout of the season and 11th solo shutout by goalkeeper Azul Alvarez, who is tied for fifth in the country.
"Michelle says all the time, 'Bend don't break,''' Hayes said. "And that's what it felt like. I'm so proud of the team that we were able to get through that and add another brick in our toolbox to go into the next game."
While the Badgers dominated possession, especially in the second half, they didn't have a lot of dangerous chances at the goal.
"I feel like watching, it looks stressful," Hayes said. "But in the game, it didn't feel like it was. Were they coming down our throats? Maybe not down the middle, I guess, but it wasn't stressful in the sense of, 'Okay, they're going to break us.' It was just, 'Okay, just keep your spaces, it's all going to work out; be patient.' And it turned out that way."
Lenard said the Bears have to do a better job of adjusting and problem solving when teams press forward like that, "but it's a combination of problem-solving and just finding solutions in the moment."
"We can prepare as much as we want," she said. "But anyone can come out there with a new game plan or change the game plan halfway through the game. That's kind of what happened to us (against Wisconsin). You've got to do whatever it takes. Sometimes, just put out the fire, and you can figure out later if that was the right choice. But if you put out the fire, that's all that matters."
Baylor gets an Ohio State team that has pulled off back-to-back upsets of eighth-seeded Georgia (2-0) and No. 1 overall national seed Notre Dame, scoring a golden goal in the final minute of the second overtime to beat the Fighting Irish, 1-0. The Buckeyes are making their second-straight Sweet 16 and sixth in program history.
"While it seems like an upset, and obviously it was, they didn't get here for nothing," Lenard said of the Buckeyes. "They're gritty, they work really hard and they've got good chemistry. I knew if they could keep it close, anything could happen. And something did happen.
"They deserve to be here as well, and we will take them very seriously. I think the biggest advantage is just that we're not dealing with a home crowd. But they're very motivated. They're flying high off a big result. That's a lot of momentum and energy coming off a late win like that against what was currently the No. 1-ranked team in the country. So, we have to match that."
Ohio State goalkeeper Molly Pritchard has recorded 10 shutouts, helping the Buckeyes rank seventh nationally in goals-against average (.544).
Baylor, picked 10th in the Big 12 preseason poll, is one of five teams from the league still alive in the Round of 16. Also advancing were TCU, BYU, Colorado and Kansas, matching the ACC (five) for the most in the country.
"When I went to shake (the Wisconsin coach's) hand, I turned back and saw the rest of my staff," Lenard said. "I think that's when it hit me. I never felt like we couldn't take that next step. I was just not allowing my mind to think about what was next. That's what we're coaching the players to do – stay in the moment, focus on the here and now. And that's what I was doing. But when we all gathered together, it hit me: this is a pretty exciting moment."
Live stats for Sunday's match will be available online, with updates provided on social media. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+.
To stay up to date throughout the year on all things Baylor Soccer, follow the team on Facebook, X and Instagram: @BaylorFutbol.
- BaylorBears.com -
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