ABILENE – A road which was kind to the Abilene Christian women's soccer team throughout 2010 will rise to meet the Wildcats again this week when they visit Central Oklahoma Wednesday followed by a neutral-site match Sunday vs. Truman State on the campus of Incarnate Word.
ACU was 13-1 away from the Wildcat Soccer Pitch last season – a record boosted by a program-best nine-game road-winning streak.
The Wildcats fully expect their early-season successes to continue after posting a 2-0 record last weekend, but head coach
Casey Wilson said they expect two huge tests from the Bronchos (0-2) and Bulldogs (1-1).
“Truman State has forever been one of the region's top-ranked teams and we're going to see an excellent, well-coached Bulldogs team,” he said, adding, “and Central Oklahoma, while independent now, was once a conference powerhouse, and for 10 years it was either them or West Texas A&M finishing first. They racked up a lot of wins in the LSC and I think they'll continue to be a talented and well-organized squad.”
From 2000-07 Central Oklahoma won six regular-season titles and qualified for seven NCAA postseason appearances before being relegated to independent status. In the Wildcats first year of existence, the Bronchos handed them their most lopsided defeat at 7-0, and a year later avenged a 1-0 loss by eliminating ACU in the first round of the conference tournament. The Wildcats, however, have held the upper hand the past two seasons, winning 4-2 and 3-0.
Truman State, an MIAA school that ACU is meeting for the first time, has a storied history of its own dotted by seven All-Americans, eight NCAA postseason victories, nine conference titles, and a sensational 21-game game unbeaten streak posted in 2004.
ACU's game with Truman State was arranged with help from Incarnate Word, which will face the Bulldogs two days earlier on Sept. 9.
As for the Wildcats, they're off to a 2-0 start for the fourth time in five years and the presence of
Krysta Grimm has been a major reason why. The junior forward contributed five points last weekend on two goals vs. A&M-International and an overtime game-winning assist to
Andrea Carpenter vs. Dallas Baptist.
Grimm doesn't remember how she got the ball that led to ACU's Opening Day victory over the Patriots, only that she knew Carpenter – a close friend of hers on and off the field - would be right where she expected.
“I had the ball at my feet outside the top of the 18 and took on two girls right away,” she said. “I faked a shot to throw them off, even though I knew it would be blocked, but that gave me enough space to slot a pass toward the goal. That's the kind of ball Andrea likes to get, and I knew she'd make that run and score.”
2011 is the first year the Wildcats have had a good look at Grimm. As a freshman, her rookie campaign was interrupted at the start by a torn ACL and meniscus in her right knee, and then as a sophomore, she endured a stress fracture in her left foot. But even in limited action Grimm found her way to the goal and entered this year with 12 points through six previous starts.
“Now that's she healthy, Krysta's showing all of us what she's truly capable of on the field,” said Wilson. “She may not be as quick as Andrea, but she's good with the ball on the ground and in the air, excellent in one-on-one situations and keeps her shots on frame. I think as long as we keep getting the ball to her feet, she'll either get the assist or goal.”
Grimm's two-goal performance Sunday vs. the Dustdevils represented a career high and both her scores were perfectly timed. Her first goal came with :39 seconds remaining before halftime, and her second came less than 10 minutes out of the break, sparking a three-goal outburst en route to a 4-0 victory.
Grimm's initial goal provided the Wildcats a degree of relief after being denied several times throughout the first half as the opposing goalkeeper came through with three saves. But on their final possession past the midfield stripe, senior defender
Lyndsey Womack pushed a through ball right to Grimm as she crossed into the 18-yard box.
Grimm received the ball surrounded by three defenders, one on her left and two to her right, leaving her to make a quick decision.
“Even though I didn't think I was, they tried to pull an offside trap on me,” she said. “It might have been close, but I didn't hesitate and fired a solid shot from the top corner.
“There was some pressure to get that ball in, even though we all knew this was a game we could win. We just wanted that edge going into halftime and coming out with a lead to protect. The more time that passes, the more anxious everybody gets and it can get pretty tense on the field.”
Luckily for the Wildcats the tension began to dissipate for good after Carpenter assisted Grimm on her second goal in the 55th minute. Carpenter took the ball from the flank to inside the 18 where she was confronted by a defender. Grimm couldn't recall if Carpenter attempted to take a shot that was deflected, but the ball came spinning back in her direction as she approached the goalmouth and rifled it straight past the goalkeeper for an easy score.
“I love working with Andrea,” Grimm said. “We just have great chemistry and can read each other well. It's awesome to be able to create opportunities with someone in a way that's not forced.”
Going into this week's pair of games Wilson is hoping to add another weapon to his arsenal in senior
Ashley Holton who has missed the last few weeks due to injury. In her first year as a Wildcat in 2010, Holton earned the program's first ever all-America honors and was named first team all-South Central Region midfielder after scoring 28 points on 13 goals and four assists.
“Getting Ashley back healthy this week is a priority of ours,” Wilson said. “As the season progresses things get tougher and this week's games will be no exception. We expect to be tested.”
Kick off at Central Oklahoma Wednesday is set for 2 p.m. The Wildcats and Truman State Bulldogs face off at 11 a.m. Sunday at Incarnate Word.
