Wildcats Force Draw In Conference Opener On The Road

Thursday, September 24

Little Rock, Ark.

6 p.m.

Abilene Christian

3-2-4, 0-0-1

Little Rock

2-4-2, 0-0-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Abilene Christian	1	0	1
Little Rock	1	0	1

Emma Taylor dribbles the ball past a Texas Southern defender on Sept. 20, 2026.

Photo by: Nataly Zuniga

Wildcats Force Draw In Conference Opener On The Road

9/24/2026 8:49:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Lindsey Blasingame

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Abilene Christian (3-2-4) played Little Rock (2-4-2) to a 1-1 tie Thursday to open up conference play. Abilene Christian kept the match level through the second half despite seven Little Rock attacking actions.

The Wildcats were the first team to record a shot on goal but the Trojans found the back of the net first with their lone goal coming in the eighth minute, but the Wildcats did not stay behind for long. Addison Briscoe converted a penalty kick for her fourth goal of the season just five minutes later to even the score.

Bella Medrano continued putting in the work in goal, tallying nine saves for the Wildcats. Coming into the game, Medrano ranked sixth in the NCAA Div. I standings for individual save percentage at .915, and the team ranked second in team save percentage at .920, which takes into account Tavi Decker's three saves this season.

While neither team scored after halftime, there were still a total of 16 shots in the second half, including nine from the Wildcats, bringing their game total to 21, three more than the Trojans.

"Resilience from our team to come back quickly after conceding on a corner and continue the pressure throughout the game," head coach Stephen Salas said. "It was good to get a point on the road to a talented Little Rock side but we felt like we could've got more. We had good attacking and shooting opportunities, as well as improvements in our possession throughout the game. With some injuries as of late, we had players like Emma [Taylor] and our junior class step up in key moments of the match. Addie [Briscoe] had a decisive finish to add to her season tally and Bella [Medrano] stood strong in the net with some crucial saves. With this being our first UAC contest, we took key moments from it that will prepare us for the rest of conference play."

UP NEXT

The Wildcats will now travel to Stephenville to take on the Texans from Tarleton State University, the only remaining in-state rival in the conference. The Texans won their conference opener Thursday night 2-1 over the University of Central Arkansas, but are 3-2-5 overall this season.

ACU is looking for its first win in Stephenville after a 0-1-2 record through three games on the road at Tarleton State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Tarleton State Soccer Complex on Sunday, Sept. 27, and the game will stream on ESPN+.