By Nate Maki | Sports Writer
In the First Round of the 2024 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship, No. 10 seed Baylor soccer will face No. 7 seed Arizona for the second time this season at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
The Bears (7-7-5) and Wildcats (11-5-2) met in their second conference match, where the green and gold lost 1-0. Baylor has its eyes set on redemption in the Big 12 tournament.
“It’s always nice to get a taste of redemption,” graduate midfielder Kai Hayes said. “I remember they were a possession-focused team. They had some fast forwards, and their midfielders were really good. I have a lot of hope for us. We just need to put our best foot forward and show them what we’re really about.”
The tournament will be hosted at the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Stadium. It opened in March and is the first stadium in the world to be built with women’s soccer in mind. This will be the first time a big site is being used as a host for Big 12 postseason play.
“[CPKC Stadium] is a great facility,” head coach Michelle Lenard said. “They’ve got everything they need to keep it in shape, regardless of the weather. It’s a playable field under any conditions. The important thing is that it’s nobody’s home field, so nobody has any excuses there. I think the field is actually very similar to ours, so we may even have a little advantage.”
Junior midfielder Skye Leach scored her first career goal in Baylor’s regular season finale against Iowa State. Her goal led to the tied game, resulting in a 1-1 draw, which secured the Bears’ spot in the postseason.
“We were just waiting for that goal,” Leach said. “It felt great. I think it was really important too. This tournament gives us a blank slate, but it’s really important to take in everything we’ve learned. We learned how Arizona plays, and I really think we have a chance to do well.”
The tournament is single elimination and tied matches will result in extra time. Lenard and the Bears are hoping a deep run in the Big 12 Championship helps them find a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
“That last game against Iowa State already could’ve been our last game, so we’ve already dealt with those emotions,” Lenard said. “I think it’s good that we survived that moment. We’ve been trying to treat every game like a final, and that’s exactly what’s happening at this point, so I think we’re prepared mentally, and we’ve been ready for this moment”
The green and gold will have their chance at redemption at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The winner of the match advances to the Quarterfinals against No. 2 Texas Tech (13-3-2) at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. All matches will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.
