Box Score
ABILENE – The Abilene Christian soccer team registered its fourth 10-win season in five years Friday following its 2-1 victory over Central Arkansas at the Wildcat Soccer Pitch. ACU's received a pair of goals in the first half by junior
Madison Brown and freshman
Natalie Throneberry, but head coach
Casey Wilson heaped much of the credit on his defense.
"I thought our defense was what won us the game because we constantly did the little things right and that was our theme this week. We wanted to be very technical in our fundamentals," he said. "And even though we didn't play as well in the second half – and gave up that goal – there was never a sense of panic for as close as the game was."
With the win, ACU improved to 10-1-1 overall and 4-1 vs. the Southland Conference, while the Bears fell to 5-4-2 and 2-1. UCA is the second straight opponent to be handed their first league loss by the Wildcats. ACU beat the previously unbeaten Southeastern Louisiana Lions on the road Sunday, 1-0.
Seven of ACU's 10 victories have been by one goal, including all four at home where the Wildcats are still undefeated.
Brown's goal was her first of the season (second of career) and came in the sixth minute off an assist from senior
Andrea Carpenter. Brown dribbled the ball several feet down the far flank before launching a shot into the goalmouth that deflected off the fingertips of starting goalkeeper Kaitlyn Keith and into the lower corner.
"Not to take anything away from Madison, but I think she was intending to cross that ball," said Wilson. "But at the same time she has a real strong leg and there have been many goals from outside mids in the past that have been fortunate mistakes. So that was well done and I think she deserved one of those just for being here all this time."
Brown's last goal was scored during a September 2011 victory vs. Truman State.
ACU made it a 2-0 game a little over a half hour later on
Natalie Throneberry's fourth goal of the season. Throneberry received the ball near the top of the 18-yard box from
Whitley Lindholm and struck a low line drive that beat Keith to her right side.
"Nat is just a solid outside shooter," said Wilson. "She's dangerous around the 18 and was given another opportunity to score from there today as she has other times this season. So we've come to expect this from her. It was a good goal."
Carpenter, who leads the Wildcats in goals with nine and assists with five, received two good looks at the net in between scores, but the first was saved by Keith and the other sailed high as she tried to punch in one of Throneberry's corner kicks.
ACU finished the match with 12 shots with
Jacey Ferrara attempting the most with four, two of which were on frame.
UCA mustered little offense in the first half in taking just three shots. Two of those taken by Shelby Wilson were saved by Wildcat freshman Kelsie Dombrowski and the other was blocked by an ACU defender.
The Bears were much more aggressive coming out of the break and cut their deficit in half on a tip-in by Marisela Chavez in the 74th minute. Dombrowski made a great initial save, diving forward to stop Wilson's third shot of the match, but the ball bounced right to Chavez who hooked it past a defender and into the open net.
Wilson thought Dombrowski, who is now 6-0-0 on the season, played a great match and said the goal allowed wasn't at all her fault.
"There are keeper mistakes, but I can't pin that one on her," he said. "I think maybe we had a defensive breakdown that lead to their counter attack … Kelsey handled a couple of tricky shots and smothered one that could have gotten away. She also held onto some of the tougher shots without there even being a bobble. It was a well-played match for her."
UCA had two more looks at the net in the final 10 minutes, plus a corner kick, but both shots were saved by Dombrowski, who totaled six on the afternoon.
The Bears' Lyndzey Goff, who is the defending Southland Goalkeeper of the Week, made three saves in the second half in relief of Keith.
The Wildcats return to action Sunday at 1 p.m. vs. Oral Roberts, which is at Incarnate Word later tonight. The Golden Eagles are the last unbeaten-in-conference team at 3-0.
