STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Abilene Christian Wildcats were unable to secure a win against Mississippi State, falling 5-0 on Friday night at MSU Soccer Field. Despite solid effort from the Wildcats, Mississippi State's overcame their efforts.
ACU battled hard in the first half, with goalkeeper Lili Ross making several key saves. However, the home team found the back of the net twice before halftime. Ross, who played the first 45 minutes, finished with four saves.
Offensively, ACU managed six total shots, with Peyton Hill, Hannah Martin, Chayse Thorn, and others testing the defense but unable to find the breakthrough. The Wildcats struggled to generate consistent pressure, with just three of their attempts being on target.
ACU made adjustments heading into the second half, but the opposition continued to pile on the pressure, adding three more goals. Julia Herges took over in goal for the second half and recorded a save during her time on the field.
"We had a good game plan and executed it well through the first 30 minutes," said head coach Stephen Salas. "We made some mistakes around the penalty area that proved costly and those caliber of a team will make you pay for it. We played this game because we know this will be a team we see in the first round of the NCAA tournament and aim to be competing at that level."
The Wildcats will take on North Texas this Sunday at 1 p.m. at home after almost three weeks of being on the road.
"This will give us some good film to go over and be better for WAC play," Salas said. "The team is excited to come back home after 5 games on the road. Also, to honor our seniors through our Senior Day this Sunday."
Savanna Alba,
Malia Cerdon,
Hannah Gage,
Taylor Sarver,
Macie Stephens and
Chayse Thorn will be honored on Senior Day on Sunday. If you cannot join the commemoration, you can stay updated on
acusports.com, as well as
Instagram,
X, and
Facebook.
Live Stats will be available during the match, and will be streamed on
ESPN+.
