Preview: Bears close non-conference with San Francisco
Tomorrow afternoon is Baylor Soccer’s final non-conference game. The San Francisco Dons visit Waco looking to slow the Bear’s momentum and prep themselves for their own daunting league games.
While the Bears open conference play with a strong Oklahoma State team and current #5 TCU, the Dons start with defending national champs Santa Clara.
This game is an important stepping stone into the next part of the season for both teams, and the intensity on the field should make that evident on its own.
San Francisco has tested itself already this year with a 2-2 tie with Oregon plus a pair of 1-0 losses
to #10 Stanford and #24 SMU. Baylor had the same result against Oregon last Sunday and topped SMU 2-1 in overtime three weeks ago.
Those results fail to show the competition level that the Dons are used to facing in the West
Coast Conference. Aside from Santa Clara, who are currently #11, the WCC is also home to #9 Pepperdine, #18 BYU, and RV Gonzaga. Pepperdine beat TCU 1-0 on Thursday by the way.
San Fran was picked to finish 7th in the WCC in the preseason coaches poll, but they have finished three consecutive seasons with a winning record overall (the WCC did not play a 2020 season).
Offensively, this Dons team seems to struggle a bit. They have only scored eight goals in seven games including being shut out 3 times. Each of those shutout losses came to their toughest competition (Cal, Stanford, and SMU).
They have also only taken 87 shots this year compared to Baylor’s 130 in just one more game. Because of that, I expect San Fran to be well organized defensively and tough to break down. They might just be content to sit back and defend, waiting for the right chance to counter unless they need to chase the game.
If the Dons score, chances are forwards Marissa Vasquez (#16) or Kaylin Lunsford (#33) played a part in it. Lunsford is tied for the team lead in goals with two, and Vasquez has two assists and a goal to her name this year as well.
If Baylor avoids a loss, it will extend their unbeaten streak to six games. A shutout for the Bears would be their fifth of the year, as would a multi-goal performance on the offensive end.
Injury-wise, watch for Taylor Moon’s minutes to be a bit restricted and Gabby Mueller might not play altogether. Otherwise, Coach Paul Jobson has a lot of options on his bench to choose from.
The Bottom Line: This could be a more defensive battle than recent games, and the Bears’ issue of giving up early goals better not rear its head. Otherwise, it could mean a disappointing result.