The soccer team prepares for UTPB on Tuesday after the Prairie View A&M tournament was cancelled due to inclement weather. The fields were not game ready as the pounding Hurricane Harvey recently struck the Texas coast and the games have been completely called off.
The Wildcats have already began season play and are 1-3 after a loss to SEC powerhouse Arkansas last weekend. The ‘Cats win came over UTEP, when junior Dylan Owens scored a golden goal at the 99 minute mark in an overtime thriller in El Paso two weeks ago.
“It was a thrilling win. In my four years here we haven’t beat them and to win in overtime was awesome,” said senior defender Peyton Bucklew.
Head coach Casey Wilson said he was optimistic and pleased with the season beginning.
“I thought we had a good showing in our exhibition against Baylor,” Wilson said. “We didn’t get the result we liked against UTSA in our first game but then we turned around and beat a good UTEP team.”
The Wildcats are coming off a 9-8-2 2016 campaign with 15 returning players and a chance to compete for a conference title with the lift of the probation period for Div. 1.
“The probation period is over and we have a chance to compete for conference, it’s huge because if you don’t win conference it’s tough to get an at-large bid.” Wilson said.
ACU was slated to play Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M Friday and Sunday, but the storm that has wrecked much of South East Texas and the Houston area is preventing those games from being played.
UTPB defeated Wayland Baptist Saturday before returning home to host the Wildcats. The Falcons are 1-1 on the season. The Wildcats head to Odessa Tuesday night for the 6 p.m. match-up.
