The Wildcat’s soccer team will enter the season hoping to earn its first NCAA tournament bid in the program’s history.

The Wildcats have 14 returning players along with eight new players this season. Three players are returning after red-shirting last year.

“We are very optimistic about this years team. We have a lot of talent with a deeper bench,” Head Coach Casey Wilson said.  “Without a doubt with a healthy team we can make a run at a conference title.”

The Wildcats began practice last week and are looking to build a stronger offense. The Wildcats only scored 23 goals last year in 19 matches. They were shutout six times and in 13 of 19 matches they scored one goal or none at all.

Courtney Wilson will return as ACU prime offensive threat. Julie Anne Coppedge will also move from playing defense to offense, while Krysta Grimm and Ashley Holton will return this year to help provide a stronger offensive attack.

“I am excited to move up and add something to the offense,” Coppedge said. “We have some girls back and some new girls making up a strong defense, so I am to move up to contribute to the offense.”

“We are expecting to play more of an attacking mid this year,” Wilson said. ” With Wilson, Holton, Grimm, Sterling and Carpenter, those players should make a big impact on our offensive game this year.”

The defense, however, became the strong point for the Wildcats allowing only 22 goals and recording six shutouts of their own.

The Wildcats will be looking to replace three all conference players Jordan Reese, Crissy Lawson and Alyson Thomas.  ACU will also be without forward Lyndsey Womack who will use her red shirt this year due to an off-season knee injury. The Wildcats will welcome back Ashley Holton and Anastasia Nelson who were lost last season due to injuries as well.

New to ACU is Freshman Andrea Carpenter from Canyon. Carpenter has great speed and should be able to compete for playing time this year.

“We expect all of our freshman to make an impact this year,” Wilson said. “They should all get to play, and we expect them to make an impact on every single game this season.”

The Wildcats will have a new keeper this year, replacing LSC Goalkeeper of the Year Crissy Lawson. Arielle Moncure and Elliott London will battle for the starting job this season.

The Wildcats have been picked to finish fifth in the conference. West Texas A&M was picked to win the conference, receiving 20 first-place votes.  The Buffaloes edged out defending conference champion Central Oklahoma, who received nine first place votes. Midwestern State was picked third, and newcomer Incarnate Word was picked fourth. Texas Woman’s, Texas A&M-Commerce, Angelo State, Southwestern Oklahoma, Eastern New Mexico, Northeastern State and East Central rounded out the rest of the conference.

“Overall our goal is to win the division and host the conference tournament,” Wilson said. “But even more importantly, our goal is to remain healthy and take each game one game at a time.”