Soccer opens home portion of spring this weekend

ABILENE – The Wildcat soccer team has had to wait what seems like forever to play at home this spring. ACU (4-3-1, 0-1-0 SLC) was supposed to host their first spring game on Feb. 12, but due to COVID-19 and winter weather, the home opener got pushed back to Friday, March 5 when the Lamar Cardinals come to town. ACU will host the McNeese Cowgirls on Sunday, March 7 to wrap up the weekend.

FOLLOW THE GAMES

SERIES HISTORY

vs. LAMAR

ACU leads the all-time series with the Cardinals, 4-3, but Lamar has won two of the last three matchups. The Cardinals are the reigning regular-season and tournament champions in the Southland Conference from the 2019 season. ACU dropped a high-scoring 6-4 game in Beaumont last season.

vs. McNEESE

ACU trailed the series 5-4-1 to the McNeese Cowgirls, and their last matchup came in last year's conference tournament. ACU dropped a 2-1 affair after winning the matchup in the regular season. The teams have split the last four matchups.

ACU STORYLINES

• GETTING THEIR LOOKS: ACU ranks No. 19 in the country this season in shot attempts per game. The Wildcats average 17.6 shot attempts each night, and 7.4 of those are on frame per game, the third-highest average in the Southland. ACU is also getting corner kicks at a high rate, averaging 6.6 corner per game, the 33rd highest mark in the country.
• CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS: Senior Christina Arteaga ranks second in ACU's history in career points with 74, career goals with 30, and career shots on goal with 127. Arteaga is No. 1 in Wildcat history in career shot attempts with 271, and is tied for fifth all-time with 13 career assists.
• CLOSING IN: Head coach Casey Wilson is in the midst of his 14th season as the leader of the 'Cats, and is one win away from 150. Wilson sits at 149-95-22 in his tenure as the only coach in program history.
• SMITH SETTING RECORDS: Senior Erin Smith ranks sixth in ACU history with 134 career saves, and is fourth in wins with 19. Smith has started the third-most games in the programs history with 36 as well.
• NIFTY NATALIE: Natalie Wodka is ACU's offensive leader so far in 2021, scoring three goals on opening weekend. She is incredibly efficient, scoring those three goals on just 10 shot attempts.

SCOUTING LAMAR (3-1-0, 2-1-0 SLC)

• Leading the Cardinal offense is redshirt senior Esther Okoronkwo, who has tallied seven points on the hybrid season and recorded 13 shots on goal.
• Junior Hollie Massey helps tack onto the Cardinal offense as she ranks second on the team with five points on six shots.
• Sophomore Nicole Panis leads Lamar between the pipes with 371:22 minutes registered while making 25 stops on the year and posting two shutouts.
• Led by two goals from Massey, the Cardinals defeated Houston Baptist in the I-10 showdown at the LU Soccer Complex on Feb. 28. Panis made five stops on the misty afternoon in Beaumont.

SCOUTING McNEESE (2-2-0, 2-1-0 SLC)

• The Cowgirls are coming off a weekend split against Houston Baptist (W, 3-1) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (L, 3-0).
• All six goals scored this season have come from six different players.
• Kelly Hines has spent the most time in net, making two starts and playing in four total games.