BEAUMONT, Texas – The most unique, unconventional season came to an end for the ACU soccer team Thursday night in the Southland Conference Tournament semifinal game at the LU Complex. Despite a lopsided 27-9 lead in shot attempts and 11 offside calls on the opponent, the No. 3 Wildcats dropped a tough 1-0 decision to the No. 7 Sam Houston Bearkats, capping their season with a 12-6-2 record and another postseason run.
Natalie Jones and
Brianna Diaz each led the way with five shot attempts, and after a scoreless first half, the Wildcats kept putting pressure on Sam Houston, but the Bearkats slid a goal through in the 53rd minute to get on the board, and ACU just could not find the back of the net. ACU caps off another quality season with its third trip to the conference tournament semifinals in only four years of eligibility.
ACU is also the only Southland team to have a good enough record to qualify for the league tournament over the last eight seasons. Despite the team not being eligible for the tournament the first four years of the transition to Division I (2013-16), the record was good enough to qualify. ACU departs the Southland Conference this summer, and will participate in the Western Athletic Conference beginning this fall.
The Goal
- 53' | After a foul call on ACU, the ball was kicked from the other side of midfield. Sam Houston sent the ball to just outside the box, and headed it from there towards the goal. Despite a Bearkat being offside in positioning, because the ball was then headed by ACU's
Ellen Joss, the player was eligible for the play. Sam's Grace Stine was there for the score, just sliding it past
Erin Smith on the right side for the lone goal of the game.
The Numbers
- ACU led 13-5 in shot attempts in the first half, and 14-4 in the second half. However, the Wildcats only held a 7-4 edge in shots on goal.
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Erin Smith recorded three saves in net, giving her 174 for her career, the third-most in program history.
- Jones and Diaz tallied five shot attempts, while
Christina Arteaga and
Caylen Wright each recorded four.
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Alyssia Anuat and
Natalie Wodka each tallied three shot attempts.
Another Quality Season
- It was a shortened and lengthened season all at the same time. ACU played in the fall, and despite it only being a five-game spread, there were multiple cancellations. The team then got ready for the spring, and in the middle of it, had to wait 19 days to play due to COVID-19 and winter weather. Despite all that, the team finished with 12 wins, and made another deep run in the Southland Conference Tournament. It is a testament to the players, the coaches, and all the staff around them that make it possible. The Wildcats say goodbye to six seniors:
Erin Smith,
Isa Sanabria,
Gabby Symmank,
Ashley Stamps, Brittany Harris, and
Elizabeth Folsom. The Wildcats will gear up now for the fall in just a few months as we hope to return to normal for the 2021 season.
