Preview: Baylor Soccer looks to bounce back against KSU
MANHATTAN, Kansas – Fresh off their first conference loss this season, Baylor Soccer will try to right the ship against the 6-6-1 Kansas State Wildcats. The Bears just lost for the first time in the last 10 matches against Kansas on Thursday, while the Wildcats are 1-2-1 in the Big 12 after their tie with #9 West Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 PM Sunday 10/10 and the game will be available on ESPN+.
Kansas State is in the middle of one of its best stretches this year, going 2-2-1 in their last five games. That stretch includes a 2-1 overtime rivalry win over Kansas last week.
KSU is led by Mike Dibbini, who has built the program from the ground up since its creation in 2014. Dibbini is 20-54-10 in their six seasons of play, but has nurtured consistent growth for Wildcat soccer.
The Wildcats are a program on the rise at least in part because they have only been playing games since 2016. The 2017 season was their first in the Big 12, and in their four seasons in the league, Paul Jobson and Baylor are 4-0-0 against them.
In year six, Dibbini’s squad is ready to compete with anyone on any given night, as they showed against the Mountaineers on Thursday night.
The Wildcat attack is led by fifth-year midfielder Brookelynn Entz (#8) and junior forward Marisa Weichel (#20). Entz has played in every Big 12 campaign in KSU’s history and earned herself preseason all-conference recognition heading into this year.
The star midfielder is naturally the record holder in pretty much every offensive stat for KSU, sometimes doubling up the next best in program history. However, she is not the Wildcats points leader so far this year. That title goes to Weichel.
Where Entz has only one goal and five assists, Weichel has netted five goals. Together they make up a nice one-two punch.
The good news for Baylor is that neither player has scored a goal in Big 12 play, so the defensive plan to shut them down is out there. In order to execute that plan, the Bears absolutely must start better than they did Thursday night in Lawrence.
A strong start does not need to include a goal, but it could be tough for the green-and-gold to break through the Wildcat defense. KSU has been able to start the same defenders in every game this year, making for an experienced and cohesive unit.
Kansas State gives up a little more than one goal per game, and they have not lost a game while giving up one or none.
The recipe for success for Baylor probably includes netting a couple. That would be a good expectation for the team to have since they have given up a goal in all four conference games so
far this season.
The Bottom Line: A strong start and multiple goals are what the Bears need. Whether it's a close game or not, whether they win or lose, they need to show that what happened against Kansas was just an aberration.