ABILENE – The ACU soccer team wraps up its three-game home stand at Elmer Gray Stadium with a pair of games on Homecoming Weekend to cap "Go Purple Week." The Wildcats host the Cowgirls of McNeese State University on Friday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m., a game that has been pushed up from 7 p.m. due to bad weather in the area. ACU caps the weekend with a matchup with the Cardinals of Lamar University on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m.
The Clean Sheet with Casey Wilson and Michelle Mulrooney (Oct. 11, 2018)
THE SERIES… McNeese has a slight edge in the all-time series, leading ACU 3-2-1. The lone tie occurred in Nov. 2017 in the Southland Conference Tournament, with ACU winning 5-3 in penalty kicks. The Cowgirls won the lone regular-season game in 2017, blanking the Wildcats 3-0 in Lake Charles, La. McNeese won the first two games (2013-14), while ACU won the matchups in 2015-16. Three of the six games in the series have gone to overtime, with all but one being decided by a goal. The Wildcats hold a 3-2 lead over Lamar all-time. The Cardinals snapped ACU's three-game winning streak in the series last season with a victory in Beaumont, Texas on Oct. 15. In the three wins, ACU has outscored Lamar 10-3.
STRANDED ON THE ISLAND… The Wildcats picked up their first tie of the 2018 season last Friday evening in Abilene against the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Despite a 32-10 edge in shot attempts, ACU could not crack the scoreboard, as both teams finished scoreless on the night. Goalkeeper
Rachel Johnson tallied five saves in net, pitching her fifth shutout of the year. ACU tallied its eighth shutout as a team, setting a new program record at the Division I level.
HOME SWEET HOME… Elmer Gray Stadium has been a sweet place to play for the Wildcats this season, as the team owns a 5-0-1 record at the Friendly Confines. Five of the six games have come via the shutout, including victories over UTEP, UTRGV, Southeastern Louisiana, and Nicholls. New Mexico State is the only team to score on ACU in Abilene, when the Wildcats won 3-2 on Sept. 2. The team has four matches remaining in their home park, including three straight from Oct. 5-14. Senior Night is scheduled for Oct. 26 against Incarnate Word. ACU's best home record came back in 2011, as a member of NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference, when the squad went 10-1-1 in Abilene.
THE "ART" OF SOCCER… Christina Arteaga has been a dominant force for the Wildcats this season. The sophomore standout ranks second in the Southland Conference in shot attempts with 53, while her four assists are good for fourth overall. Arteaga ranks seventh in points with 12, while her four goals are matched with
Dylan Owens for tops on the team.
SCOUTING McNEESE… The Cowgirls (9-5-1, 3-2-1 Southland) fell at the hands of Central Arkansas on Oct. 7, ensuring their first defeat since Sept. 14, spanning five matches. McNeese has posted five shutouts this season, and has two separate streaks of at least four games without a loss. The Cowgirls have scored 28 goals this season, and are led by Morgan Middleton's six. Overall, 12 different players have tallied a score, and 21 of the 28 goals have been assisted on.
SCOUTING LAMAR… The Cardinals (8-3-2, 4-0-2 Southland) are off to a fantastic start in conference play, and overall have not lost a match since Sept. 4 against LSU. During this span of seven matches, Lamar has won five times and tied twice. The Cardinals have posted six shutouts, as Sandra Nygard and Jocelyn Hanrath have split time in net. Kelso Peskin and Juliana Ocampo (five goals apiece) pace an offense that has scored 26 times.
