Preview: Baylor Soccer Travels to Austin for Longhorns Matchup
WACO, Texas — Baylor Soccer (2-5-2, 0-1-0) is heading down to Austin for the second time this season, this time to actually play the University of Texas Longhorns (7-1-3, 1-0-1).
After beating Florida on UT’s field back in late August, the Bears will be looking to replicate that result against their hosts. However, the Horns are on an impressive nine-game unbeaten run.
The only loss for the team in burnt orange this year was to No. 3 North Carolina 2-0 in the second game of the season. The green and gold fell 6-0 to the Tar Heels three days later.
“Overall, pretty good soccer team,” Baylor coach Michelle Lenard said of Texas. “Well balanced. But like anybody, they have holes and they have weaknesses, and we're gonna look to exploit those.”
The Horns also boast a win over Texas Tech and a draw with No. 9 TCU to start Big 12 play. Those are two teams expected to finish in the top half of the conference, and the Frogs are the favorites to win the title.
The Longhorns have a prolific attack, netting about three goals per game through 11 games while giving up one goal per game. Baylor has scored just seven goals in nine games this season.
For all of these reasons, Texas is currently the first team out of the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
More specifically, Baylor freshman defender Hannah Augustyn said, “They're possession based. They're not afraid to play long balls, but they are possession based. They're very skilled. They have a couple of good forwards that we should be looking out for.”
The forwards in question are most likely Trinity Byars (No. 15) and Lexi Missimo (No. 10). Together they have accounted for 15 goals and 12 assists this year alone. That is close to half of the team’s output in both categories.
Coach Lenard was not playing up the challenge much though.
“Both [are] players that if we're disciplined and defend well as a unit, that I think we can limit their opportunities on goal. And I don't think that they're players that we can't find answers to.”
Lenard clearly has faith in her team and the way she and her staff are preparing them. This will definitely be tested though. Even if Byars and Missimo are corralled, Texas works well as a team. The Longhorns’ website lists 36 assists for their 32 goals, so they are working chances and creating goals as a unit at all times.
This does not bode well when compared to Baylor’s record of allowing nearly two goals per game and not scoring in almost the last three full games (256 minutes). So, the Bears’ mentality will be tested from the first kick in Austin. Any change of fortunes will surely be started by belief.
“Mentally it's hard because I think then we tend to doubt ourselves,” sophomore Micah Beasley noted, “But we really came at it at practice this week really focusing on our finishing and the style play that we want to bring when playing Texas.”
Beasley continued later on about they might be able to make a breakthrough: “I think the skill is there. I think we need to have like more confidence in the final third, and just knowing when, like maybe we should take an extra touch, maybe when we should shoot first time.”
After last week’s loss to Oklahoma, coach Lenard said that the question for the team now, in the midst of adversity, is “can we struggle well?”
“They've taken it to heart,” said Lenard six days later, “and [the team] said, ‘Hey, this is a good point.’ Like, can we become better humans through this? And as we do that, as we struggle well, as our character and integrity grow, we really genuinely believe that that translates to the soccer field.”
So as the team attempts to keep a positive mindset as they grind things out, there are some positives to look at headed into Friday’s game.
First, the road trip to Austin will be new to no one, even the freshmen.
“I definitely think there is [comfort]. Just getting to know the field and the atmosphere. I think that there is a comfort level going down there.” said Hannah Augustyn thanks to the Florida and UNC games in Austin in August.
Second, and definitely more important, a couple of Bears are returning from injury. Morgan Greensage who saw limited action against OU could possibly start against the Horns and Reneta Vargas will also see her first minutes of the year.
“We're getting a couple of kids back that aren't fit to play a lot of minutes,” coach Lenard said referencing Greensage and Vargas. “But that can come in and add value for maybe 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Both of them looked really good this week in training and might see a start from one of them tomorrow.”
Beasley added, “I think they'll really bring something that we've been lacking.”
Both are true center forwards (commonly referred to as nines) which this Baylor team has been lacking with Taylor Moon and Mackenzie Anthony out so far this year. Almost all of Baylor’s wingers and attacking midfielders have tried to fill that void, but it has been a struggle.
So for both the individuals and the team, it should be a welcome sight to have them in the game.
“I love to see it and just to see the joy on their faces,” said Hannah Augustyn, “just to put on the uniform and get to step out in the field.”
The Bottom Line: The Bears need to be clean in defense and not get stretched too much in transition, from there hopefully the young center forwards can help Baylor nab a goal and possibly a result.
“I feel like it's a fairly close matchup,” Lenard said, “I don't think our records looked that way. But just player for player, I think we’re in a good position.”