ABILENE – Abilene Christian women's soccer made its home debut a memorable one on Thursday night, knocking off American Athletic Conference Tulsa, 1–0, at Elmer Gray Stadium. The victory marked the Wildcats' second win of the young season and their first home-opening triumph since 2023.
ACU struck quickly, breaking through in just the sixth minute when Abby Smith slotted home a finish from the top of the box. The goal was set up by Amelia Leggett and Peyton Hill, who combined on the attack to give the Wildcats an early advantage.
From there, ACU relied on a defensive performance to hold off a relentless Tulsa side. Goalkeeper Bella Medrano anchored the back line with six saves, including several key stops in the second half as the Golden Hurricane pushed forward, but Medrano was able to shut them out. Defenders Katy Gregson, McCarly Holloman and Gracie Kelly helped limit Tulsa to difficult chances, while ACU's midfield put pressure on Tulsa's defense.
The Wildcats nearly added to their lead with chances from Smith, Hill and Hannah Vetromile, who kept Tulsa busy with five shots on goal throughout the match. ACU also controlled the game early, outshooting Tulsa 11–4 in the opening half and earning four corner kicks before the break.
"An outstanding showcase from our team of where we are at and where are going with the 1-0 win against a tough Tulsa side," said head coach Stephen Salas. "It was great to see a packed crowd as we welcomed freshmen and other students back on campus with a great showing of what ACU is about. Our goal was a great build starting with the defensive effort of McCarly and Peyton, creating the attack in midfield, to find Mel who didn't give up on the play and crossed it to Abby, who hit a spectacular one time volley. Our team defending was heroic tonight all across the field, especially in the backline. Even more special for freshman Bella Medrano to get her first start and shutout."
Despite Tulsa's late surge, the Wildcats' composure never wavered, and the final whistle sealed the upset over a program that entered the night 2–0 on the season.
With the win, ACU improves to 2–1 overall and builds momentum heading into the rest of non-conference play.
The Wildcats will return to action at Elmer Gray Stadium on August 24 against familiar face, Houston Christian. Kick-off is at 1:00 p.m. CT. Sunday's match will be available on WAC International.
