Women's Soccer | 10/14/2015 10:19:00 AM
Live stats at Lamar | VideoLive stats at McNeese | Video ABILENE – Abilene Christian soccer makes its final road trip of the season this weekend for a pair of dangerous matches against its Southland Conference rivals from Lamar and McNeese. Start times are 7 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday with both schools offering live stats and video of all the action.
With only three weekends (five matches) left on its 2015 slate ACU (5-7-2) stands second in the Southland at 4-1-1 and only one point behind the defending regular-season champions from Stephen F. Austin, who will visit Elmer Gray on Oct. 23. The Wildcats moved into second and extended their season-long winning streak to three after knocking off the 2014 Southland Tournament Champions from Houston Baptist, 3-1. But to jump ahead of the Ladyjacks they'll have to continue playing their best soccer against two sides that have frequently frustrated the Purple and White.
The Cowgirls have shutout the Wildcats in back-to-back years by matching 1-0 scores. McNeese won its lone Southland match in 2013 vs. ACU to finish 1-10-1, and the following year spoiled the Wildcats' Senior Day at Shotwell Stadium en route to a 6-5 conference mark.
Lamar won its first-ever meeting with the Wildcats 2-1 during the 2013 season in Beaumont, but were blanked the following autumn as the ACU defense limited the Cardinals to 12 shots (five on goal) in a 2-0 victory.
Should the Wildcats win both matches, not only will they set themselves up for a better shot at the Southland's regular-season title, but they'll even their overall season mark at 7-7-2, which may have once seemed impossible after starting the year at 1-6-2.
And from a milestone perspective, two more wins will give nine-year head coach
Casey Wilson his 100th collegiate victory. He began the year with a career mark of 93-55-11 (.619).
A big key to the Wildcats' recent success has been the play of their defense, which has surrendered only four goals in the past six matches for a 0.64 GAA. Two weeks ago ACU pitched back-to-back shutouts of Northwestern State and Central Arkansas and came within 1:56 of blanking HBU when likely first team all-conference selection Sabriah Spencer netted her seventh goal of the fall.
Defender
Chloe Fifer and goalkeeper
Sydney Newton were honorable mention Southland Conference Players of the Week for their contributions vs. the Huskies as was midfielder
Maria Gomez, whose second goal in as many matches broke a scoreless tie in the 61st minute. Fifer provided the assist on Gomez' goal and later drew the foul that led to
Danielle Otto's game-winning penalty kick.
Freshman
Dylan Owens later added an insurance goal in the 88th minute off an assist from
Lindsey Jones to seal the victory.
Lamar (6-9) started its conference season with consecutive wins over Nicholls and Northwestern State, but has since lost four straight, including 6-1 to UCA and three one-goal decisions to Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana.
McNeese (5-7) is tied with Lamar for eighth place in the conference at 2-4. The Cowgirls last week snapped a four-match overtime streak with a 3-2 win at Nicholls, but prior to that had gone to three-straight double overtimes vs. UCA (L, 1-2), NSU (W, 2-1) and Sam Houston (L, 1-2) and then lost in the first overtime to SFA, 2-1.
