ACU battles UTEP in Sunday matinee

EL PASO, Texas – After a tough overtime defeat against New Mexico State Thursday, ACU soccer looks to rebound Sunday when it takes on the UTEP Miners in the second match of the season. The WAC meets Conference USA, with kickoff slated for 2 p.m. CT (1 p.m. MT) to close out the opening weekend. The game will be shown on C-USA TV, which requires a subscription to watch.

FOLLOW THE GAME

SERIES HISTORY

• ALL-TIME | 8th meeting (ACU leads, 3-2-2)
• LAST MEETING | Aug. 25, 2019 - ACU 2, UTEP 1
• STREAK | ACU has won three in a row (2017, 2018, 2019)
• IN EL PASO | Series tied, 1-1-1
• IN ABILENE | ACU leads, 2-1-1
• NOTES | Met every year from 2013-19 // Five of the seven games have gone to overtime (ACU is 2-1-2 in OT against UTEP)

ACU STORYLINES

• TOUGH OPENER: ACU tied the game on a Natalie Jones goal in the 77th minute Thursday, but NM State scored two minutes into overtime to win the game, 2-1.
• JONES-ING FOR GOALS: Natalie Jones is now ninth in ACU history with 14 career goals scored. The next one will move her into a tie for eighth with Julie Coppedge, who played from 2009-12.
• FIRST START: Sophomore Lily Foster made her collegiate debut Thursday night at NM State, and was very active, tallying five saves, including a pair in overtime. Foster played all 92 minutes and is off to a good start to her collegiate career.
• 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.
• PRESEASON PICK: 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.

SCOUTING UTEP

• UTEP battled in a 1-0 loss at Big 12 member Texas Tech in the season opener for both squads on Aug. 19. The 2019 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Kirsten Davis (37'), provided the lone goal in the game to propel the homestanding Red Raiders past the Miners. Goalkeepers Mariah Scott (three saves) and Emily Parrott (two saves) combined for five stops on the night.
• UTEP returned 23 letter winners from last year's team (3-6-2, 2-3-1 C-USA), including nine starters. The Miners also added six newcomers. The Orange and Blue are under the direction of third-year head coach Kathryn Balogun, who sports a mark of 13-14-5, including 0-1 this year.

Follow ACU on social media:

Twitter: @ACU_Soccer | @ACUsports

Instagram: @acu_soccer | @acusports

Facebook: /acusports

#GoWildcats