Women's Soccer | 10/23/2014 2:40:00 PM
Live stats vs. Lamar Live stats vs. McNeese |
Live videoABILENE - Abilene Christian soccer says goodbye to its 2014 season and six seniors this weekend when it plays host to Southland Conference rivals Lamar and McNeese at Shotwell Stadium.
Match times are Friday at noon vs. the Cardinals and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. vs. the Cowgirls. Live stats will be made available for both contests, and the Senior Day match vs. McNeese also will be live streamed via ACUSports.com.
The Wildcats' six-woman senior class will be honored during a pregame ceremony. Madison and
Taylor Brown,
Sarah Schoch and
Katie Stivers all have been with the program since ACU's South Central Regional Championship season of 2011, while
Emily Sumrall and
Tiffany Ysassi joined the program in time for the Wildcats' successful arrival into Division I athletics.
Last year's team finished a surprising 13-5-1 and was 7-5 against the Southland Conference. And this year's edition is once again in position to post a winning record, but they'll first have to defeat the Cardinals and Cowgirls in order to finish at 9-8-2.
Since the program's inception in 2007, the Wildcats have experienced five winning campaigns through seven seasons.
ACU was in position to finish tied with Stephen F. Austin for first place entering this weekend last season but lost to both Lamar and McNeese on the road. The Cardinals scored two unanswered goals in the second half to edge the Wildcats, 2-1, and then McNeese defeated ACU in overtime on a goal by Tori Lasiter in the 93rd minute for its lone conference triumph of 2013.
As a result of the sweep, the Wildcats fell from second to fourth place in the conference.
This year's Wildcats (7-8-2) are currently fifth in the 12-team league at 4-3-2 and two additional wins combined with losses by Sam Houston, Southeastern Louisiana and Houston Baptist could push them into the runner-up slot. The Cowgirls (6-8-1) are right behind the Wildcats at 4-4, while the Cardinals (4-10-1) a little further behind at 2-5-1.
ACU is 4-2 at home this fall but comes into this weekend in the midst of a season-long three-match winless streak that started with a 1-0 loss to first-place SFA followed by a 2-1 defeat at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and 1-1 tie at Incarnate Word.
The Wildcats held the lead in both of last weekend's road losses. Junior
Lindsey Jones gave ACU a 1-0 advantage in the sixth minute vs. the Islanders, but Yvette Franco provided the equalizer in the 30th minute and Jacey Love netted the eventual game-winner in the 58th minute.
ACU then dominated the stat sheet last Sunday at UIW but couldn't get anything past Cardinal goalkeeper Heather Kowalik after scoring the match's first goal (
Taylor Brown) in the 18th minute. Kowalik made five saves and earned the tie thanks to a Jazma Latu score right before halftime in the 42nd minute.
For both Brown and Jones, their goals were each their third of the year.
Lamar has lost its last three matches by shutout and will likely need to win its last three - plus get some help - in order to qualify for the six-team Southland Conference Championship, which the Wildcats are ineligible for. The Cardinals are currently in ninth place and three points behind the sixth-place Islanders.
McNeese evened its conference record last week with a pair of one-goal wins vs. Northwestern State, 2-1, and Lamar, 1-0 (OT). The Cowgirls will first play at UIW Friday night before coming to the Key City. Next week, both McNeese and Lamar will finish their season vs. 11th-place Central Arkansas (5-8-2, 1-5-1 SLC).
