By Michael Haag | Sports Writer, Video by Danika Young |Broadcast Reporter
Baylor women’s soccer (1-1-0) is heading into Thursday’s matchup against Nebraska coming off a 4-0 shut-out win versus North Dakota State (0-2-0) Sunday. Baylor is looking to get above .500 before Big 12 conference play begins. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
Nebraska has had a scorching hot start to the season with eight total goals in their first two games of the season.
“They’re scoring goals like they’re going out of style,” Paul Jobson, Baylor women’s soccer head coach, said in a press conference Wednesday.
The Nebraska Huskers are 2-0 so far this season, riding the play from their high-powered attack on the pitch.
In head-to-head matchups over the years, the record is split 1-1. The sample size is small, but a blow-for-blow contest is in store for this Thursday. Baylor graduate student Jennifer Wandt and Nebraska sophomore Sami Hauk were both named Goalkeeper of the Week for their respective conferences. The matchup on paper is setting up to be a good one.
Baylor is putting a strong emphasis on their defensive game plan in hopes of neutralizing Nebraska’s lethal attacks.
“Hopefully we can provide a little more of a defensive challenge for them,” Jobson said. “Hopefully we can break their back line.”
The attention for the Bears seems to be finding soft spots in the opposing defense, while stiffening their own defensive ranks.
Senior forward Taylor Moon and sophomore forward Mackenzie Anthony both shot 100% from the pitch in Sunday’s matchup and will be key for the Bears to apply pressure to the Huskers’ back line.
On the defensive side, the Bears have to be mindful of the sophomore forward tandem of Eleanor Dale and Reagan Raabe, who have both been superb as of late for the Huskers.
This is the start of the two home game slate for the Bears, and they are hungry for a win. Jobson spoke on what they expect to get out of these next two games.
“Our goal this weekend is to be better on both ends of the field continuously than we’ve been over the last couple of weeks,” Jobson said.
The team knows what to do and are excited to be back at Betty Lou this season for their first home game.
