With a late game-tying goal, the soccer team tied the Utah Tech University Trailblazers 1-1 in the Wildcats’ conference home opener to move to 4-7-1 overall and 0-2-1 in conference.
In the previous three games, the Wildcats’ defense struggled as they were outscored 9-2, with five of those goals coming against Utah Valley.
In Thursday’s game, Utah Tech scored in the 22nd minute to give the Trailblazers an early 1-0 lead. ACU remained behind until the final minute when Abby Smith, graduate midfielder from Flower Mound, scored a penalty kick to tie the game.
“I think it was great, but it was such a team effort, like getting the free kick, putting it in the box and then Peyton [Hill] coming up with a big foul,” Smith said. “All I had to do was put it in the back of the net.”
The offense struggled in the first half, taking only three shots. In the second half, the team took seven shots, bringing the total to 10 shots for the night. Out of those 10, only two were on goal, including the game-tying goal.
Head Coach Stephen Salas said his team showed resilience in the second half and described this moment as a turning point for his team.
With the tie, the Wildcats are in fifth in the Western Athletic standings, one spot above last place, Tarleton State. If ACU had lost, it would have held the last spot as Tarleton owns the tiebreaker over the Wildcats.
The tie allows the team to remain unbeaten at home this season as the Wildcats now have a 3-0-1 record at Elmer Gray Stadium.
“I think that’s massive for our program, and it just shows how much we really care about our home field and how much we respect it,” Smith said.
On Sunday, the Wildcats will look to stay unbeaten at home as they will face Southern Utah Thunderbirds, who currently hold the fourth spot in the standings with a 1-1 conference record and 2-6-2 overall record.
In its latest match, Southern Utah defeated Tarleton State 2-0 on Thursday.
To win on Sunday, Salas said he needs his team to start like they did in the second half of Thursday’s game.
After Sunday, ACU will be on the road for three straight games before returning home on Oct. 25 to play Tarleton State.
