The Wildcats head out of state this weekend to continue conference play. ACU (1-6-2) faces off against Nicholls State (2-4-1) on Friday at 4 p.m. in Thibodaux, Louisiana and will then turn around to play Southeastern Louisiana (6-1-1) in Hammond at 1 p.m.
“We go about our routine each week about the same to focus on our game and watch film on the other teams to prepare for tendencies we see,” head coach Casey Wilson said. “Each week we try to clean up our game and try to be as efficient as we can with the ball.”
ACU won 3-0 last year against Nicholls State with goals coming steadily in the 27th, 60th and 82nd minutes. Junior goalkeepers Kelsey Dombrowski and Sydney Newton combined for the shutout. The Wildcats also defeated SELU 2-1 at Showtwell Stadium last season. ACU gave up an early goal in the 12th minute, but fought back with scores in the 34th and 70th minute.
Soccer is coming off a 1-1 draw against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last Friday at Elmer Gray Stadium. After trailing by a goal for most of the game, senior Lindsey Jones forced the equalizer in the 87th minute of play to send the game to extra time. Neither the Wildcats or the Islanders could find the back of the goal and would end in a tie.
“I credited them after the game with keeping their composure at the end of the game as they kept building the ball up the field giving themselves chances to score, “Wilson said. “That was a good experience for them to come back like that after some disappointing events earlier in the game.”
The Colonels dropped its conference opener last weekend to Lamar in a 1-0 loss. Much like the Wildcats game against the Islanders, the game saw late theatrics, with a goal from Lamar coming in the 89th minute. Nicholls State has lost three of their last four matches.
The Lions came away with a road victory against McNeese State last weekend. SELU scored the lone goal of the match in the 71st minute to take the game 1-0. Over their last five matches, the Lions are 4-0-1, with wins coming over Southern University, Arkansas State and Texas Southern.
The Wildcats are still searching for their first win since their 5-3 victory against the University of Texas-San Antonio on Aug. 28. ACU is win less on the road this year, but, those losses have come at the hands of elite programs like Arizona, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Christian University.
The Wildcats also received its second College Team Academic Award in three years from the National Soccer Coaches Association. A team must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) to qualify for the award. The team posted a 3.56 collective grade-point average during the 2014-15 academic calendar and were one of only four Southland schools to earn this honor along with Lamar (3.38), Houston Baptist (3.11), and Nicholls (3.17).
