For the first time in program history, the Wildcats are champions. ACU defeated Midwestern State in the conference championship on Sunday to earn its first Lone Star Conference Championship.
“It was exciting. It was nice to be able to play at that level at this time of year,” Coach Casey Wilson said. “It is good for the girls to know that they are capable of playing at that level, especially going into this next weekend.”
The Wildcats earned their first NCAA Regional Tournament bid and will enter the tournament as the fourth seed in the South Central Region. The Wildcats will take on a familiar foe in Angelo State, who earned the fifth seed.
ACU knocked out Angelo State on Friday night in the conference tournament with a 2 -0 victory. ACU would control the game, as they would hold ASU, to only two shots on goal. Krysta Grimm would open up the scoring for the Wildcats with a goal in the 35th minute. ACU would take a 1-0 lead into halftime. The Wildcats continued to play well in the second half, as Anastasia Nelson would score on a corner kick inside the box.
The Wildcats would win 2 -0 over the Rambelles, a win that was their first postseason win in the program’s history. However, it would not be their last, as ACU would knock off top seed Midwestern State 2-0.
The Wildcats started the game playing well in first half but went into the locker room at halftime tied 0-0. ACU would come out in the second half and score two goals to give the Wildcats the 2-0 victory. Andrea Carpenter played a role on both goals by opening the game with a goal and then assisting on the second scored by Katherine Garner.
The win captured the conference title for the Wildcats and earned ACU an automatic NCAA tournament bid. Carpenter, Julie Coppedge, Ashley Holton and Lexi Stirling each earned all-tournament honors for their play in the tournament.
The Wildcats will travel to St. Edwards in Austin to play ASU on Friday, with the winner taking on top seed St. Edwards on Sunday.
“We are thrilled to be in the tournament. We are happy that we are staying close, avoiding long travel,” Wilson said. “We were a little confused by the polls, but we are going to Austin and things will take care of itself.”
