The Wildcats remained unbeaten on the road last weekend, winning two conference road games against East Central University and Northeastern State University.
The Wildcats knocked off the Tigers of East Central 4-2 on Friday before traveling to Tahlequah on Sunday. The Wildcats would score two early second-half goals against the RiverHawks, giving them a 2-1 victory.
“We played very well this weekend, even with having some girls who were sick or hurt,” Head Coach Casey Wilson said. “With the pressure on us and being shorthanded, we were able to come through and win as a team.”
In the first game, Ashley Holton stole the spotlight, scoring three goals in the first half alone. Holton is just the third player to record a hat trick in ACU’s school history. It did not take Holton long as she scored her first goal in the first 50 seconds of play. She would add her second one in the 20th minute and her final one in the 38th minute.
“Ashley played great this weekend. She stays so composed when she is out on the field,” Wilson said. “Even when she is not scoring, she is creating chances for others, and we are very pleased with the effort she is putting in.”
Andrea Carpenter scored her ninth goal in the 43rd minute to continue her goal streak at eight consecutive games. This streak would end Sunday, but Carpenter still has nine goals in nine games. She is just one goal shy of tying the school record for most goals in a season at ACU. The Wildcats took a 4-0 lead to the half and were able to hold on in the second for the victory, despite giving up two goals.
ACU scored two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half against the RiverHawks for a 2-1 victory. Courtney Wilson got the first goal in the 50th minute, and Holton scored the second of the game and her fourth of the weekend in the 54th minute. NSU would score in the 80th minute to make it interesting, but ACU’s defense shut down the RiverHawks the rest of the game, not allowing another shot.
Senior defender Bree Craig helped shut down the RiverHawks late in the game.
“I think we played very well this weekend. We had to deal with a couple of injuries and illness, and despite that, we played well,” Craig said. “It was definitely great to get two conference wins, I think that the energy we have will help us carry this momentum.”
The Wildcats improved to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in conference, while the RiverHawks fell to 4-3-2 and 0-2-1. ACU will have two home games this weekend at the Wildcat Soccer Pitch. ACU will play West Texas A&M Friday at 4 p.m. and Eastern New Mexico on Sunday at noon.
