Preview: Baylor Soccer Looks to Shock No. 1 North Carolina
*Baylor vs UNC in Austin will kick off at 12 PM CST on Sunday 8/28 on LHN
The Bears got Michelle Lenard her first win as the head coach of Baylor Soccer on Thursday against Florida. Now they have the opportunity to take the field against national No. 1 and ultimate women’s college soccer blue-blood North Carolina. What are they up against and what might they be able to show on the field? Let’s take a closer look.
The Tarheels have won 21 NCAA championships since the NCAA started conducting tournaments in 1982. They have made a further 9 Women’s College Cups (Final Fours) and have never missed the NCAA tournament.
That being said, they have not won a title since 2012 and after 2nd place finishes in ‘18 and ‘19 plus a College Cup appearance in ‘20, UNC lost in the first round last year to South Carolina. The program was growing closer to returning to the mountaintop, but disappointment struck and may have forged an even stronger will to win it all this year.
Now the Bears must go up against this monster of a program and focus simply on the players on the field with them.
Last year, UNC averaged 2.17 goals per game and scored three goals for each one they conceded. They were clearly on the front foot most of the year and forced opposing goalkeepers to make 105 saves, compared to the Tarheel keepers making just 40 all year.
UNC just has so many talented scoring options that it is tough to single out anyone as a player to watch. Sam Meza (#1) is considered irreplaceable by her coach Anson Dorrance. Avery Patterson (#15) has three goals in three games this year after being joint-second top-scorer on last year’s team with five. And then there is Ally Sentnor (#21) who was potentially the Heels’ best player last year according to Dorrance before a preseason ACL tear.
The scoring threats do not end there though. Coach Dorrance said rather emphatically in the UNC Athletics season preview articles that “This will absolutely be the deepest team we've had in our history”.
North Carolina likes to center their play style on pressing. With a very deep and talented bench, they can run even harder and press that much better all day long, so expect the Bears to be under a lot of pressure when they have possession.
There are some cracks for the Heels though. National player of the year candidate defender Maycee Bell tore her meniscus and will be sidelined for the rest of the year. Their defense was built around her. They have not allowed a goal yet this season, but their captain and first-choice defender is not available which makes a difference.
On this road trip, UNC will also be missing midfielder Talia Dellapertura who has played significant time for the United States U-20 Women’s Youth National Team.
Aside from injuries, the Heels are also trying to nail down a starter in goal after last year’s starter moved on to the NWSL. Again, that has not been much of an issue yet, but it is something to note.
Despite all the history, talent, depth and hype, the game still needs to be played. And the Bears have the right mentality for the challenge.
"I always think we step up to huge opponents,” Junior forward Olivia Mack said Wednesday, ”before I was here and through the time I’ve been here.”
Head coach Michelle Lenard said that she expects no different than that against UNC. In my own words, I’d say there is a “nothing to lose” mentality. A team trying to find it’s identity and hopefully hit its stride before conference play would likely not expect a win against a No. 1 team.
The expectation is great effort, not shying from the challenge, showing that another step has been taken towards success, and active problem solving on the field. So long as there is no regression or surrender, the result can be whatever it will.
None of that is to say that a loss is simply accepted though.
There is a great focus on mentality in the Baylor camp lately. Junior Sarah Hornyak mentioned that the lesson “Fear is a feeling and courage is doing things when you're scared anyway” has been circulating around the team. “Maybe there is a little bit of fear but you can control it,” Hornyak said.
So the mentality and problem-solving of the green and gold are things to look out for against UNC. One other area of interest for me is tactics. The Bears showed some new wrinkles against Florida and I’m curious to see if those can or will be carried over when Baylor will be up against much tougher competition.
Then at the other end of the field, this should be the toughest test for the no-goal-patrol all year.
“We've gotta be more defensively organized against whomever we're playing at this point,” coach Lenard said after the Florida game, “So we're attacking better in this game. We created some better chances, but we did get exploited in counter-attack moments and UNC will be clinical if we're not organized to counter-press.”
Lenard went on to say, “When we are in a low block, we've gotta be more organized because we're getting pulled out of our shape far too often when we're close to our own goal.“
The Bottom Line: It would take a lot for Baylor to get a win, so mindset, problem-solving, and defensive solidity are the things to watch for this game. Hopefully, growth is shown in those areas and the Bears keep things close enough to steal a result.
*Baylor vs UNC in Austin will kick off at 12 PM CST on Sunday 8/28 on LHN
