ABILENE – The ACU soccer team wraps up its 2018 road schedule this weekend in Huntsville and Nacogdoches for a pair of key Southland Conference matchups. With just three games left in the regular season, the Wildcats (9-5-1, 4-3-1 Southland) have their sights set on the conference tournament, which begins Wednesday, Oct. 31 in Beaumont, Texas. ACU battles the Bearkats of Sam Houston State on Friday, Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m., and closes the weekend with the Ladyjacks of Stephen F. Austin on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.
THE SERIES… ACU leads the all-times series with Sam Houston State, 3-1-1, dating back to their first meeting in 2013, a game which the Wildcats won 2-1. The lone loss in the series came last season in Abilene, 2-1. The teams tied in 2015, 2-2, and only one game in the series has been decided by more than one goal. On the other side, Stephen F. Austin has owned the all-time series, 4-1-1. The Wildcats' lone win in the series came last October, 2-0, at Elmer Gray Stadium. The teams met in the postseason, with SFA winning on penalty kicks, 4-2.
SOUTHLAND STANDINGS… ACU currently sits in fifth place in the conference standings with a total of 13 points. The top eight teams will play in Beaumont on Halloween to open the postseason, and there is currently a five-point difference between the Wildcats and the current eight seed, Sam Houston State. The Bearkats are looking for a few more wins to ensure their spot in Southland Tournament, with just three games left in the regular season.
HONORABLE MENTION… Junior
Michelle Mulrooney was announced by the league Tuesday as an honorable mention for Southland Defensive Player of the Week. The Lodi, Calif. native played all 199 minutes in the split over the weekend with McNeese and Lamar, anchoring a defense that allowed just one goal. Opponents took 27 shots, but only seven registered on frame. The defense guided sophomore goalkeeper
Erin Smith to her third shutout of the season in the 3-0 victory over the Cardinals Sunday afternoon.
CLOUD NINE… The Wildcats picked up their ninth shutout of the season in the 3-0 victory over the Lamar Cardinals last Sunday at Elmer Gray Stadium, setting a new program record at the Division I level. The team is two away from tying their 2011 record of 11 shutouts, a mark set as a member of NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference.
TOP 'CATS… The ACU defense ranks number one in the Southland in goals against average (.60), allowing just 9 goals in 15 games this season.
Erin Smith and
Rachel Johnson have combined for 78 saves, ranking eighth in the league, showing just how dominant the defense has been. ACU has outshot its opponents 265-172, and opponents have tallied a meager 77 shots on frame.
LOOKING THROUGH THE "LENZ"… Brooke Lenz got the Wildcats off to a great start Sunday against Lamar, scoring the first of the team's three goals in the game. The junior scored off a corner kick in just the fifth minute of the game.
Dylan Owens sent the corner in, and after a touch by
Shay Johnson, Lenz cleaned it up for her first score of the season. The Spring, Texas native has tallied 11 shot attempts this season as a defender, and set the tone for the day with the score. Mulrooney then joined the party with her first of the season off a set piece in the 16th minute.
Caity Acosta finished the trifecta with her second of the year in the 23rd minute. The three first-half scores were more than enough for the Wildcats Sunday. Altogether, 12 different players have scored a goal for the team this season.
SCOUTING SAM HOUSTON STATE… The Bearkats (3-9-3, 2-4-2 Southland) are coming off a road split at Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana, topping the Colonels 2-1 in overtime before falling to the Lions 2-0. Senior Christina Hendershot ranks second in the league with 77 saves and third with 5.50 saves per match in over 1,000 minutes in goal. Hendershot tallied a career-high 10 saves against Lamar and returned two days later with another 10 saves against McNeese. She boasts Sam Houston's only two shutouts of the season. Senior Lindsey Bienski leads the Sam Houston State offense with four goals on the season.
SCOUTING STEPHEN F. AUSTIN… The Ladyjacks (3-7-3, 1-4-3 Southland) tied SLU last weekend in Hammond, La., 1-1, before falling 2-0 to Nicholls. SFA is looking for its first win since Sept. 14, when they topped Northwestern State 1-0 in Natchitoches. Three ties and four losses later, the Ladyjacks have not scored more than two goals in a game. Due to weather in the area and flooding on campus, the game will be played at Nacogdoches High School. SFA has outshot its last three opponents 54-20, and will be looking for a key victory Sunday afternoon.
