Baylor Soccer Prepares for Sunflower State Swing
After a rough, 0-3 start to conference play, Baylor Soccer is leaving the friendly confines of Betty Lou Mayes field to make a swing through the Sunflower State.
A Thursday matchup with Kansas and a Sunday tilt against Kansas State will show fans how resilient Michelle Lenard’s squad is after being outscored 10-0 by the three highest-ranked teams in the Big 12 over the last two weeks.
“We haven't won a conference game yet. Regardless of their current record, we have something to prove,” Coach Lenard said of her team heading into their road trip, “And we have to play like a team that has something to prove.”
Both KU and KSU are winless in conference as well, though they are sitting at 0-2-1 instead of 0-3-0 like the Bears. The Jayhawks earned a draw with Oklahoma 2-2 while the Wildcats tied Cincinnati 1-1.
Oklahoma State beat both schools (1-0 vs KU and 2-0 vs KSU) while the Jayhawks lost 1-0 to UCF and the Wildcats lost to Oklahoma 2-0.
So all these teams are hungry for a first Big 12 win, and Coach Lenard emphasized how her squad is ready for the matchups.
“[The players] are excited. And they feel like these are games we can win. And they know that we have a need to go on the road and get points. So if we come out flat, then I'd be shocked because our team knows what we need right now.”
In order to win those points, the Green-and-Gold will need to clean up their game.
Texas Tech, BYU and Texas each forced turnovers and mistakes by putting the Bears under quick, intense and physical pressure on the ball.
Kansas will likely try to do the same despite the step down in talent on their team compared to the best of the Big 12.
“Their high pressing physical team that can be really dangerous and counterattack moments if we're not careful,” said Coach Lenard.
Kansas State, who beat Baylor in Waco last year thanks to a brutal last-second penalty, will also try to muck up the game with the Bears. Physicality, energy and composure will be keys to success for Baylor.
Overall, what Coach Lenard is looking for on the field over this week is this: “For us, it's about details, getting the little details right and building consistency.”
The building will never cease. This team is young and the program as a whole is in year two of a rebuild. The hope is they can take that next step this year and make it back to the conference tournament in Round Rock.
Six points from this road trip would go a long way to achieving that goal, but all six are anything but certain.
“There's no easy games in our conference. And it doesn't matter who you're playing. No matter who the two opponents are either team can come out on top.”