The Abilene Christian women's soccer team will travel west to start Western Athletic Conference play when they face off against California Baptist on Thursday and move on to Utah Valley on Saturday.
When the Wildcats play the Lancers in Riverside, Calif., it will be ACU's first game in 11 days. They last played on Sept. 14 -- a 2-0 loss at Baylor. The Bears scored two goals in the first half and maintained that lead for the rest of the game.
ACU opened the season with a 1-0 road victory at UTEP, but has since lost five straight away from Abilene. The Wildcats have only scored one goal in those five losses combined: an Abby Smith penalty kick at North Texas. Smith leads the Wildcat offense this season with two goals on 11 shots.
On the other side of the ball, the team has seen action from all three goalkeepers on the roster, but freshman Bella Medrano has been the main option for the defense. Medrano has tallied 31 saves against four goals allowed.
The WAC is comprised of just six women's soccer programs this season. ACU will play a home-and-home series against each of the other five squads for a total of 10 conference matchups. The Wildcats will not see California Baptist and Utah Valley again until the final week of the regular season when the Lancers and Wolverines visit Elmer Gray Stadium.
Utah Valley was voted the favorite in the WAC preseason coaches poll, while California Baptist was right behind in second place.
CBU holds a 4-5-1 record in 2025, including a season-opening 1-0 victory over CSU Bakersfield. Utah Valley went 4-4-1 in its preconference slate with home wins over Utah and Gonzaga.
ACU will look to improve its road record while also starting conference play hot. Thursday's kickoff against CBU is at 9 p.m. CT, while Saturday's match at Utah Valley begins at 8 p.m. CT. Both matches will stream on ESPN+.
