By Daniel Wallace
Sports Writer
The Baylor soccer team has its best record through 15 games since 1996 and went undefeated this weekend, beating two Big 12 teams, both on the road.
The Bears kicked off the weekend in Lawrence, Kan., with a 3-1 win at Kansas (8-6-0, 1-3-0) on Friday. The Bears then blanked Iowa State (6-7-1, 0-4-0) Sunday evening in Ames, Iowa, surging past the Cyclones 2-0. The two victories marked the first time in more than 10 years that the team has won both weekend road games. This feat had not been accomplished since the weekend of Oct. 13-15, 2000, when the Bears knocked off Colorado and Texas Tech on the road.
The three goals Friday against Kansas were the most for the Bears this season since Sept. 2, when the Bears found the net three times, shutting out Louisville on the road. Additionally, the three goals were the most the Bears have scored against a Big 12 opponent since Oct. 11, 2009, in a contest at Iowa State.
For the second time in her career, junior midfielder Lisa Sliwinski scored twice on Friday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. Sliwinski scored the team’s first goal and its final one, when she carried the ball down the field and kicked it in from 18 yards out to give the Bears the 3-0 lead and seal the victory in the 72nd minute.
Sliwinski’s first goal of the game was assisted by senior defender Hannah Dismuke. In the 36th minute, Dismuke drilled a free kick from 40 yards out onto Sliwinski’s head, which put the ball in the back of the net for the 1-0 advantage. The middle goal of the game for the Bears came from junior forward and leading goal-scorer Dana Larsen. It was Larsen’s sixth goal of the season. Dismuke also assisted that goal and leads the team with four assists.
Sliwinski continued her scoring streak on Sunday in Ames, Iowa, against Iowa State. She recorded her third goal of the weekend, her fourth of the season. She teamed up with freshman forward Justine Hovden, who with Sliwinski worked a two-on-one on the Cyclones’ side of the field. Sliwinski launched it in the back of net from 10 yards out in the 59th minute. Hovden assisted Sliwinski for her second assist of the season.
“We had another great day that made for a great weekend,” head coach Marci Jobson said in a press release. “We had players step up all over the field, and I am extremely proud of their hearts and effort.”
Freshman midfielder Alexa Wilde scored the final goal of the weekend in the 64th minute of Sunday’s game. It was an unassisted high looping ball just over the outstretched arms of the Iowa State goalkeeper.
Senior goalkeeper Courtney Seelhorst recorded her Big 12-leading ninth shutout and made three saves on Sunday.
Baylor (11-2-2, 3-1-1) will face Missouri (10-5-0, 1-3-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
