ABILENE - The Abilene Christian soccer team jumped into the Lone Star Conference Championship picture Friday afternoon behind a thrilling 2-1 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce at the Wildcat Soccer Pitch. The Wildcats also received some help from Angelo State, which crushed Eastern New Mexico at home, 5-0.
Thanks to today's results, ACU (6-9-1, 4-7-1 LSC) now enters the final week of the regular season in sixth place and with complete control over its postseason destiny. If the Wildcats win their last two, then they're assured a spot in their fifth and final conference tournament, but another loss or tie to either Texas Woman's on Sunday or Midwestern State next Friday could put them on the outs.
ACU wasted little time today in getting on the scoreboard as junior forward
Andrea Carpenter scored fourth goal of the year in the third minute. The Wildcats' all-time leading scorer with 42 goals rushed the ball down the far side of the pitch, and was initially stopped by Lions' goalkeeper Tracey Rogers, but she couldn't secure the ball and Carpenter easily connected with the empty net.
Minutes later, senior midfielder
Julie Coppedge made it a 2-0 game after booting a shot straight over the head and arms of Rodgers from about 20-yards away after forcing a turnover. Coppedge's goal was her team leading fifth of the season and Carpenter's was her fourth.
The Wildcats had plenty of other first-half opportunities to extend their lead, but Rogers came through with three saves, including two during the final five minutes.
Commerce (5-10, 4-8 LSC) came to life during the second half and managed to cut the ACU lead down to 2-1 on a 52nd minute corner kick goal by Brionna Minde. The Lions' junior forward sailed her kick straight along the goal line and high enough to elude the reach of ACU goalkeeper
Arielle Moncure. The goal was Minde's third of 2012.
The shots kept coming afterward for Commerce as they looked for any way to send the match into overtime, but Moncure came through with two stops, while her defenders blocked another pair. ACU also caught some breaks when Callie Annett's shot in the 81st minute just cleared the crossbar, and when Minde's three subsequent corner kicks failed to reach goalmouth.
Commerce out-shot ACU during the second half 11-7, and 16-15 for the match. All three of Moncure's saves came during the second half, and Rogers finished the match with seven.
Krysta Grimm led all players with six shots and had four saved by Rogers.
The Wildcats' match with Texas Woman's kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.
The Pioneers (6-7-2, 5-5-1 LSC) enter tonight's match with Midwestern State (4-8-3, 4-4-3) in fourth place, a point ahead of the Mustangs and three in front of the Wildcats.
