After a 2-1 rivalry win over Texas A&M, Baylor Soccer now sits at No. 6 in the national rankings, and there is plenty to be excited about. Here are some of my thoughts and takeaways from Sunday’s game. The Bears host another in-state foe, Texas State, this Sunday. Kickoff for this ‘welcome back students’ game is at 7:30 p.m. and entry is free.
» Grace White (Fr., LW #15) has opened her account; watch out.
After not finding the back of the net with three great opportunities in Arkansas, White got on the score sheet in style with her game-winner. The right-footed finish showed all the composure and skill you’d expect of a player who earned a call-up to the U.S. Women’s U-19 national team camp back in June. You can expect plenty more out of this freshman.
» Noelle Sather (Jr., MF #6)was BALLING at some points in the second half.
Her confidence looks high, and she finds her spots in the game really well. Her dynamism on offense is a very pleasant surprise to me. Her flexibility to be able to play in any midfield role is also huge for Michelle Lenard. It may pay off later this year, but again, a possible absence for the U-20 Women’s World Cup looms. We should know Canada’s roster soon.
» The Bears' defense is better than I was worried it would be, but they still need to improve. Baylor’s press is really good, and it protects the back line, playing to their strengths. When the ball doesn’t get closed down early enough, or the Bears are effectively counter-pressed into turnovers high up the field, that is where they are finding issues. Those would be issues for any team though. Until the Bears’ midfield outright gets dominated for extended chunks of games, the defense should be alright.
» Haters might say that neither Arkansas nor Texas A&M are actually very good. Supporters will say that both are good and Texas A&M was tough to scout and fatigue was an issue for Baylor. The haters may have a bit of point, with the Hogs drawing Loyola Maryland 1-1 on Sunday. I’m still shocked by Arkansas’ lack of offensive bite, but Texas A&M was not supposed to be easy either, and the Bears found a way to win, which is what matters most at the end of the day.
» The jump to No. 6 in the polls is great, but now the Bears have a target on their backs. It’s not easy to be the hunted, and Michelle Lenard needs to keep her squad focused on their own hunt for wins and trophies. I am a bit shocked that Baylor jumped all the way up to No. 6 given Arkansas’ early woes, but you take the national respect and keep showing people you deserve it.
» Callie Conrad (Sr., F #9) scoring twice in two games and looking so calm doing it just makes me feel really good about this year offensively. In the preseason, I compared her to France’s Olivier Giroud for her ability to play selfless, thankless soccer. Giroud was a hell of a scorer though, and Conrad is so far living up to that side of the comparison as well. Tyler Isgrig led the Bears with 10 goals last year; two against 2 Power 4 opponents is a great start toward matching that number for Conrad this season.
» The finishing seems to be on another level, and the chances the team creates just look more … I hope this comes across as I intend it … they look more professional/typical. The five goals from open play so far haven’t been scrambled in or come from defenders misplaying the ball or other random circumstances. The Bears understand the game model and each other on another level this year, and the execution has followed suit. Now if Baylor can just figure out how to get the chance creation on the wings/in the corners to match what they have been creating in transition and in the middle of the field.
» Theresa McCullough (Sr., F #14) just makes things happen. Go rewatch White’s goal and look for Conrad in the give-and-go with Jimison before playing White in on goal. So nice. I’m sure McCullough would enjoy more minutes, but she is doing great as a sub and racking up a second assist in as many games is awesome for her and her team. And off of the above bullet, it’s really interesting to me that she has been a winger but has created two goals this year when working inside/more centrally. Gotta love an adaptable player!
» Toward the end of the game, Baylor changed formation/tactics to have two No. 6s (defensive midfielders). It’s nice that Baylor has that tactical flexibility to become more compact like that and tougher to break down. Plus, not having to play Hess every minute will help by the end of the season if they can find those times consistently. Losing Sather to the U-20 Women’s World Cup will take some of that flexibility away for almost a month though (if it happens). So that will stink, but this team is deep enough to manage.
» Brynnlee Bohannon (Fr., MF #11) also has two assists in 2 games. Really impressive stuff from the freshman. I bet teams may try to bully her if she’s causing too many problems, but that takes resources needed to stop Baylor’s other dangerous attackers. Plus, Bohannon showed plenty of grit this week against two physical opponents. She might be a target, but she won’t make it easy.
» Fan turnout was great. There is a chance to develop a great atmosphere to pair with this exciting team, and entry to games is free, so I highly encourage Baylor fans to go to games and help create that atmosphere. The players really do feed off of it. You might not notice the lift a crowd gives in football or basketball with so much rest time built into those games, but cheering on a defender racing to the ball can give them the extra little bit of juice to keep pushing through the fatigue and win the battle.
