Wildcats open 2021 season with New Mexico State

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – After the shortest off-season in program history, the 15th season of ACU soccer opens Thursday night. The Wildcats had just four months off after a unique 2020-21 campaign that featured games in the spring, but are ready to get back to fall soccer this time around. The season begins with what will soon become a familiar face, the New Mexico State Aggies. NMSU is also a part of the Western Athletic Conference, but Thursday is a non-conference match since the teams are in opposite divisions. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT (7 p.m. MT) and can be seen on the WAC Digital Network.

FOLLOW THE GAME

SERIES HISTORY

ACU leads the all-time series with the Aggies, 2-0, with the meetings coming in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The key was first-half scoring in both games, as ACU won 3-2 in 2018 in Abilene, with all three goals coming before halftime. The 'Cats won 3-1 in Las Cruces in 2019, with two goals coming in the first half. Christina Arteaga scored a goal in both games of the series.

ACU STORYLINES

• PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE: ACU returns eight starters from the spring, including fifth-year senior Christina Arteaga and sixth-year senior Megan Paul, who both utilized the NCAA's extra year from the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in the lineup this year also include juniors Caylen Wright and Natalie Jones, along with a backline of Ellen Joss and Alyssia Anuat. Other key returners include Natalie Wodka, Hannah Gage, Jordan Michie, Brennan Reuland, Laura Mauldin, mBrianna Diaz, and Faith Husbenet. Emily Heidman also returns from injury from last season and will make her immediate impact again.
• PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: One of the most decorated players in program history, Christina Arteaga, was named preseason all-WAC prior to the start of the season. Arteaga, the seventh-ever four-time first-team all-conference player in Southland Conference history, enters her final year with 89 career points, 35 goals, and 19 assists. The assists rank No. 1 in program history, while the goals and points rank second behind Andrea Carpenter, who played from 2010-13.
• NEW STOPPER IN NET: Sophomore Lily Foster has been tabbed the new starting goalkeeper after the graduation of Erin Smith last spring. Foster, a Coeur d Alene, Idaho native, brings height and length to the position at six-feet tall, and the coaching staff is excited for her opportunity. Freshman Savanna Alba joins Foster as the two goalkeepers this fall.
• NEW LEAGUE, PICKED SECOND: ACU was picked second in the new WAC Southwest Division, which features five Texas teams and Chicago State. SFA was picked to win the league, with Lamar tied for second with the Wildcats. UTRGV was picked fourth, Sam Houston was picked fifth, and Chicago State was picked sixth.
• NEW CONFERENCE: The soccer team is the first ACU program to participate in the Western Athletic Conference. It was announced in January the entire department would make the move to the WAC, and soccer is the first team to compete in a game in the new league. The conference opener takes place on Friday, Sept. 24 against the Lamar Cardinals at Elmer Gray Stadium.
• WAC TOURNAMENT IN ABILENE: ACU won the bid and will host the WAC Tournament the first week in November at Elmer Gray Stadium. The six-team tournament features the top three teams from each division, with the division winners getting a bye.

SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE

• The Aggies finished 5-12-2 last spring, but defeated UTRGV in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament, 3-0, before falling in PKs to top-seeded Utah Valley in the semifinals.
• NM State returns its top-four goal scorers from last year's squad that made a run to the WAC Semifinal including Xitaly Hernandez, Hannah Leitner, Megan Ormson, and Shea O'Connor. Leitner was named second team all-WAC following the season and was joined on the all-WAC second team by returning defender Emma Smith.
• The Aggies also bring back all-WAC honorable mentions Corey Kizer, Xitaly Hernandez, Lece Aviles, and McKenna Gottschalk. Leitner and Kizer were also named to the WAC all-tournament team for their performances in Phoenix.
• NM State was picked fifth in the WAC West Division, with Utah Valley predicted to win it, Seattle U picked second, Grand Canyon picked third, California Baptist picked fourth, and Dixie State picked sixth.

Follow ACU on social media:

Twitter: @ACU_Soccer | @ACUsports

Instagram: @acu_soccer | @acusports

Facebook: /acusports

#GoWildcats