'Cats are Louisiana bound this weekend

FRIDAY'S MATCH

SUNDAY'S MATCH

RUSTON, La. / GRAMBLING, La. – The ACU soccer team hits the road for a pair of non-conference matches this weekend in the Bayou, beginning with a Friday night date with Louisiana Tech out of Conference USA. The Wildcats (1-1-0) then battle Grambling on Sunday to close the road trip, looking to take down the unbeaten Tigers of the SWAC. Friday night's game airs on CUSA.TV, and kicks off at 7 p.m., while Sunday's affair begins at 1 p.m.

SERIES HISTORY VS. LOUISIANA TECH

• ALL-TIME | 2nd meeting (LA TECH leads, 1-0-0)
• LAST MEETING | LA TECH 2, ACU 1 (Oct. 10, 2020 - Abilene)
• STREAK | LA TECH, w1
• IN ABILENE | LA TECH leads, 1-0-0
• IN RUSTON | n/a
• NEUTRAL | n/a
• POSTSEASON | n/a

SERIES HISTORY VS. GRAMBLING

• ALL-TIME | 2nd meeting (ACU leads, 1-0-0)
• LAST MEETING | ACU 2, ACU 1 (Sept. 19, 2021 - Abilene)
• STREAK | ACU, w1
• IN ABILENE | ACU leads, 1-0-0
• IN GRAMBLING | n/a
• NEUTRAL | n/a
• POSTSEASON | n/a

ACU STORYLINES

• THORN IN OPPONENT'S SIDE – Sophomore Chayse Thorn is off to a great start this season, after scoring a pair of goals in ACU's win over UTEP last Sunday. The Rowlett, Texas native struck twice in the first half to give ACU a 2-0 lead, and the 'Cats did not look back. Thorn recorded just two shots on goal, scoring both times, once off a set piece from Macie Stephens, and the other on a breakaway. She became the first Wildcat since Natalie Jones last November to score multiple times in a game, and multiple times in a half.
• ROOKIE DEBUT – Freshman Lili Ross got the nod in net against the Miners, and tallied a clean sheet in her first career start. It was the first shutout of the season, and Ross recorded a pair of saves to guide a dominant defensive performance.
• RETURNERS – ACU brings back 19 players from the 2021 roster, including previous all-conference performers at each level. Natalie Jones headlines the returners at the midfield spot, while Caylen Wright leads the offense and Ellen Joss paces the defense. Lily Foster returns in net for her redshirt sophomore year, while forwards Jordan Michie, Nicole Barham, and Chayse Thorn are back for more as well. Defensively with Joss comes Hannah Gage along with Macie Stephens, Faith Husbenet, and Sami Brown. Jones is joined in the midfield by returners Grace Ornelas, Taylor Denn, Jazzy Torres, and Brennan Reuland. It's an experienced group that played over 10,000 minutes on the pitch last season.
• NEWCOMERS – The Wildcats bring in 11 new players, and look out for Ross, Hannah Vetromile, forward/defender Jillian Beck, and defenders McCarly Holloman and Olivia Bos. It's a star-studded freshman class that brings a lot of talent to the table.
• THE COACH – Head coach Casey Wilson is in his 16th season as the only coach in program history, making him just one of 11 coaches in the country still with the program they started from scratch. Wilson has notched 164 wins in his time at ACU.
• HISTORY BOOKS – Senior Natalie Jones is currently sixth all-time at ACU in career goals scored with 18. She also ranks seventh in program history with 12 career assists, and her 128 career shot attempts rank ninth all-time. Senior Caylen Wright has scored 15 times in her career, the ninth-most ever.

SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH (1-1-0)

• The Lady Raiders are coming off a loss to Northwestern State, 4-1, where Flavie Dube scored her first career goal.
• LA Tech defeated Murray State in the season opener, 2-1, on Aug. 19, and is in game three of a four-game stretch to open the season at home.

SCOUTING GRAMBLING (2-0-0)

• The Tigers beat Alcorn State, 2-1, last eekend o open 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
• Imogen Fowler scored the first goal, and Beatriz Kretteis scored the game-inner in the 67th minute.
• Grambling travels to Monroe, La. on Friday to take on ULM before returning home to play ACU on Sunday.

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