University of Oklahoma Athletics
University of Oklahoma
Baylor
Soccer Returns Home for Match with Baylor
April 09, 2021 | Soccer
NORMAN — The Oklahoma soccer team returns to John Crain Field on Saturday afternoon for a conference showdown with the Baylor Bears, slated for a 4 p.m. first touch on Sooner Sports TV. The match marks the first of a two-game homestand to wrap up the Sooners' season.
"We've had a good week of training, and we're excited to get after it on Saturday," first-year head coach Mark Carr said. "This team continues to develop and get better despite all of the adversity they've faced, and we'll look to get a positive result this weekend."
Oklahoma is coming off a hard-fought 2-0 defeat in Stillwater on March 27, where both goals allowed came off penalties in the second half.
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
MATCH BASICS
The Sooners dropped a 1-0 result in overtime to the Bears in the fall, despite putting more shots on goal than Baylor. In that match, freshman Abby Mitchell led the Sooners with two shots on goal.
Three of the last four matches between the Sooners and Bears have gone to overtime, and OU is 8-11-6 all-time in the series.
Saturday's match will be played in front of a pass-list-only crowd at John Crain Field at 4 p.m. Sooner Sports TV will stream the game live.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The six Oklahoma freshmen have combined for 16 starts this season, led by Big 12 All-Freshman honoree Cailey England with 11 starts to her name, fourth-most on the roster. Freshman striker CeCe Cross leads the team with two goals on the season, tallying a brace in a draw with Iowa State on March 13.
In the Oklahoma State match, a trio of Sooners led the charge in the first half in the attacking third as Cross, England and Abby Mitchell all tallied minutes up top for Carr's team.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Baylor (4-5-3) enters Saturday's contest, fresh off a 4-0 loss to Texas. The Bears are 1-2 this spring, with their lone win coming via a 5-0 result versus Louisiana. A trio of pacey forwards lead head coach Paul Jobson's team, most notably All-Big 12 second-teamer Taylor Moon, whose five goals pace the Bears.
COACH CARR'S THOUGHTS
On the Sooners:
"We're looking forward to competing again after having last weekend off. We will need to match Baylor's physicality and aggressiveness if we want to be successful. Obviously, we're looking for a win, but the opportunity to see this team continue to grow and develop is exciting."
On the Bears:
"They're led by three forwards up top who all have a lot of pace, so we'll need to be prepared for that. Baylor is a very talented and physical team that is big and has speed."
UP NEXT
Following the penultimate match with Baylor, Carr's team remains in Norman for a season finale with Kansas State at 1 p.m. on April 17.
For updates and more information on Oklahoma Soccer, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_WSoccer) and like Oklahoma Soccer on Facebook.
