By Nate Maki | Sports Writer
Baylor soccer is gearing up for its final regular season match against Iowa State with a spot in the Big 12 Soccer Championship on the line. Kickoff against the Cyclones is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at the Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames.
“We’re going to need a tie or a win against Iowa,” head coach Michelle Lenard said. “Anything else is going to put us in jeopardy of not advancing. We need to be able to play with the same mentality every time, but it can be hard to do that when we have something to fight for.”
The Bears currently sit at No. 11 in the Big 12, and only the top 12 of the 16 teams will advance to the 2024 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship.
The green and gold have earned enough points this season so that they wouldn’t immediately be out of the top 12 if they lost to the Cyclones (3-9-5, 1-5-3 Big 12). However, a loss to the Cyclones and wins for UCF and Cincinnati could put Baylor on the outside looking in.
“We know we have to score goals in this game,” sophomore forward Callie Conrad said. “I think something we’ve been missing these last couple days is making it fun. When we’re having fun, we attack and defend together. As long as we’re having fun in the final third that ball is going to be in the back of the net.”
The Bears have not lost to the Cyclones since 2020, with a 21-8-2 all-time record. However, the record in Ames is much closer at 7-6 in Baylor’s favor.
“I think last week was a learning experience,” junior defender Hallie Augustyn said. “It sucks, but we learned a lot about what we’re doing wrong. We just have to fight to bounce back from it, so it doesn’t become a trend. We’re used to the pressure, but now we’re playing for our seniors, and that’s the biggest thing right now.”
With the season nearing a close and plenty to play for still on the line, Lenard has taken time during practice to talk through the emotions that come with having several productive seniors competing in their last collegiate matches.
“All season, we’ve been trying to build this mentality of treating every game like a final,” Lenard said. “It’s hard to do that until you really get to that point. Hopefully, we’ve had enough practice to be ready for this.”
The Bears will close out the regular season on Friday night against Iowa State. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames.
