By Nate Maki | Sports Writer
With the final home game of the season in the rearview mirror, Baylor soccer is looking to scrape together road success as it travel to Utah for matchups against BYU and Utah. Kickoff against the Cougars is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday at South Field in Provo. From there, the Bears will travel an hour north to clash with the Utes at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Ute Field in Salt Lake City.
The Bears (7-6-3, 2-4-2 Big 12) have fought through conference play as tough opponents filled the docket. Four of their losses have come against ranked or receiving votes opponents, with both conference wins being 4-0 shutouts against Houston and Arizona State. With three games left in the regular season, Baylor must stay in the top 12 in the conference to secure a spot in the Big 12 Soccer Championship.
“We’re excited, but there’s also a lot of pressure,” graduate midfielder Kai Hayes said. “Where there’s pressure, there’s also a privilege to go out there and compete to win. That’s what we need to do on the road. We’re just going to have fun with it and show everyone what we’re really made of.”
The Cougars (6-5-4, 4-2-2 Big 12) roll into the matchup on the heels of a shutout victory and have yet lose a home game in the conference play. Head coach Michelle Lenard is doing everything she can to prepare the team for a fierce opponent and strong home field advantage.
“It’ll be a lot colder than this,” Lenard said. “[BYU] is aggressive. They have a lot of confidence that can be dangerous to play against. Man-to-man I think we’re better, the question is just consistency. We need points, so this is our opportunity to climb the rankings a bit.”
After their match against the Cougars, the Bears will take on the Utes (6-5-4, 3-2-2 Big 12) for their second-to-last match of the season. With the end so close, junior defender Hallie Augustyn knows the importance of closing strong and valuing the moment.
“It’s sad that we’re coming toward the end of the season, but it’s been so much fun,” Augustyn said. “I think that’s why it’s gone by so fast. We have such a great environment here and every moment is fun. Seeing the end gives us a push, it’s an incentive to do better so we can keep playing in the tournament.”
Kickoff against BYU is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday at South Field in Provo.
