Preview: Baylor Soccer Prepares for Texas State Rematch in NCAA Tournament First Round
As Baylor Soccer prepares for its first game in the NCAA Tournament since 2018, let’s take a closer look at the team’s opponent, the Texas State Bobcats, and the September matchup between these two teams in San Marcos that saw the Bears win 4-1.
The September 7th contest was the Bears’ second-to-last non-conference game and the fourth win in a row for Michelle Leonard's team. The Bears were in the middle of an undefeated start that would end at 5-0-2 with a loss to Texas Tech to start Big 12 play.
The first matchup was also the game that kick-started midfielder Tyler Isgrig’s season. Baylor’s No. 11 scored her first two goals of the campaign against the Bobcats after an uncharacteristically quiet first five games. Isgrig is now sitting at nine goals and seven assists after entering that game with a lone assist.
Despite Isgrig coming close to a hat trick that night in San Marcos, Aryanna Jimison was perhaps the best attacker for Baylor on the night. The Houston transfer midfielder hit the goal frame multiple times and was probably a total of three feet away from a hat trick, missing five or six chances by inches.
Those were the Baylor offensive highlights of that night, but the Bears were tested at the other end of the field, and Baylor goalkeeper Azul Alvarez stepped up in a big way to make the final score look more lopsided than the gameplay truly was.
Don’t just take my word for it, though.
“It is a tough result. I don’t think it was a 4-1 game. I mean, they’re good and they certainly deserved to win…” said Texas State head coach Steve Holeman after that game, going on to praise Alvarez as one of the best keepers in the nation and the defense as a great group overall.
I was planning on going back to rewatch the game to look at how Texas State caused some problems for the Baylor defense, but ESPN — in their infinite wisdom — has removed most replays of Baylor Soccer games from the ESPN+ archives. The coaching staffs of both teams are likely the only people to have full game film at this point.
And that film has not lied to either team; the Bobcats are better than the scoreline showed.
“We have looked back on the stats and everything from that game,” said Baylor midfielder Kai Hayes, “and we realized, yes, the score line was 4-1, but in reality, the game probably should have been a lot closer than what it was.”
The Bobcats did well to get in good scoring positions on counterattacks and set pieces, but their attackers did not convert those chances well enough to make the Bears pay like TCU did in their 3-0 win over the Bears or UCF did to score their winner against the Bears in Orlando.
As far as Coach Lenard is concerned, the Bobcats are worthy opponents that could deliver similar results as those Big 12 foes.
“They do have some players that can just do some really special things… make something out of nothing,” said Coach Lenard on Thursday, “They can create a chance out of a half chance, and we have to be super disciplined. And that's not new.”
Put more succinctly: “We take them very seriously, and we know that some of those individual players can really hurt us if we're not disciplined.” Again, a direct quote from Coach Lenard.
Diving a little deeper into the previous contest between these two teams this year, the Texas State goal came from the second phase of a set piece. Corners and free kicks were an area that BYU took advantage of to pounce on the Bears early last week in Fort Worth. Those have been one of the areas that the Bears are looking to tighten up and get right heading into the NCAAs.
“I think on the set pieces, the goals we gave up on the set pieces against them [BYU], were definitely learning points for us,” said Baylor midfielder Tyler Isgrig.
And while there were surely plenty of lessons to take from that loss and from the Texas State game in September, Baylor Soccer is looking to treat the NCAA tournament as a blank slate.
“Everyone collectively has the mindset that it's like a new season, the postseason,” said Isgrig, “Obviously, you never know what game is going to be your last, so everyone's been super motivated, super excited to play.”
And while the whole program is hungry for more than just an appearance in the bracket, this season — to this point — has been the successful culmination of a four-year build. Four years for Michelle Lenard to prove that she could succeed once again, this time at the Division I level. Four years or less for the players who chose to play for Lenard and build the program’s culture for a new era. Players like Isgrig and Hayes, Hallie and Hannah Augustyn, or Azul Alvarez and Blythe Obar; Most of whom will be out of eligibility at the end of this season.
“I'm super proud of everything they've accomplished,” said Coach Lenard, “I’m proud of them for their resilience and their ability to overcome adversity. Those first few years are not easy. A lot of people would have left under those circumstances. I believe in them individually, and that they're going to do some really special things when they leave Baylor, but I also believe that they're not done yet.”
Some notes on Texas State to leave you with:
- Texas State - Sun Belt Tournament Champs - (10-3-7, 5-1-4)
- 4th seed in SBC tourney, third in West Division
- Lost to Baylor 4-1 in San Marcos on Sep. 7
- 0-2-2 against P4 teams, draws with A&M and OU, 5-1 loss to ASU
- They give up a goal a game, but have kept 7 clean sheets, including their last two in the SBC tourney
- Top goal scorer: #9 Mady Soumare (6 G, 3 A) - All-SBC 2nd team F
- Top assister: #14 Matsuri Tsutsui (2 G, 8 A)
- Points Leader: #10 Helen Alormenu (5 G, 6 A) - All-SBC 1st team MF
- Defender #4 Victoria Meza - All-SBC 1st team D
- Dangerous substitutes: #17 Constance Agymang & #15 Katrin Agustsdottir
- They have other players who can create, but those are the key names in the big categories
