The soccer team starts Western Athletic Conference play after a bye week that followed the completion of its non-conference schedule.

In non-conference play, the Wildcats recently grabbed a big win over Northwestern State, which beat No. 19 Texas. This was part of a 3-0 home start. The defense shone in this game, holding the Demons scoreless.

“It was good, one, to get one at home and then shut them out,” Head Coach Stephen Salas said. “We ended up getting a top-10 WAC play. I think we played pretty well.”

However, that momentum stalled out as it did not carry over to the Wildcats’ next game at Baylor.

The Bears, undefeated coming into the game against ACU with wins over Mississippi State and Texas, scored early and often, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime.

The Wildcats came out in the second half seemingly as an entirely different team, not giving up a goal after the break.

“We pressed them pretty well,” Salas said. “We did really well in our duels, and overall in the second half, I thought we made much better improvements.”

This defensive performance was led by two key Wildcats who reeled in some accolades. Katy Gregson, junior defender from Frisco, was named WAC Defensive Player of the Week, and Bella Medrano, freshman goalkeeper from Lubbock, was WAC Goalkeeper of the Week following her nine-save effort against Baylor.

“We’ve grown a lot in our team defending,” Salas said. “It’s great to see a freshman step up. It’s a good mix, and just seeing them work together has been great.”

Despite this, Salas says it is time to take what worked well, get rid of what did not and turn the page to get ready for the new season.

“This is a new season for us,” he said. “Everyone’s zero and zero in conference, so we are really working on the details.”

The Wildcats are set to face California Baptist Thursday to start their new conference season. Last time out, the Wildcats fell 2-1, which could provide a good test on the road.