September 23, 2022 by Kaylee Kahn Leave a Comment

The Wildcats head home for a double matchup this weekend against Southern Utah on Friday night and Utah Tech on Sunday afternoon.

ACU just got off the road from meeting with Tarleton for the start of the Western Athletic Conference play, which ended in a tie, 1-1.

The Wildcats are eager for their first home conference matchup of the season. So far this season, ACU is 3-0-1 at home and are looking to continue the winning streak.

“We need to do better on the offense side,” head coach Casey Wilson said. “Our defense is playing out of the back and I think that the unit that’s been back there has been doing a solid job. We just need the rest of the team and the midfielders and forwards to take a little less pressure on the defense.”

This is the first time the Wildcats have met both Southern Utah and Utah Tech in school history.

The Thunderbirds are going into this matchup with a 7-1 overall record and a 2-0 conference record. This past weekend Southern Utah met the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley and Stephen F. Austin to start their conference play, ending in a double win.

Sammie Sofonia has been a strong force for the Thunderbirds and their offense. She has recorded six goals and eight shots on goal out of 16 shot attempts. Sofonia, who is in her college debut season, tucked away a hat trick against Mississippi Valley State, adding to the team’s overall score, 10-0.

“It’s nice that we are not always traveling,” Wilson said. “You got to take a big advantage of being at home, especially when teams are flying in. So that’s always an advantage in soccer, when it comes to rest and being home and having that clear head.”

Utah Tech has also had a positive season record with a 6-2 overall and a 2-0 conference record.  The Bisons also played Stephen F. Austin and UTRGV this past weekend and secured a double win at the start of conference. Utah Tech heads into this matchup with a six-game winning streak, hoping to continue to seven.

Kyla Thompson holds a solid defense for the Bisons, giving opponents a solid wall to go through. Thompson has recorded 32 saves in her eight games played and has only allowed four goals to get past her. The senior had a career record of nine saves against Idaho State this season, giving her the lead on the team.

“We have been studying film this week,” Wilson said. “We have been trying to put a game plan together for what they present and I feel without a doubt that we will be ready.”

The Wildcats meet Southern Utah Friday at 7 p.m. and Utah Tech Sunday at 1 p.m. at Elmer Gray Stadium, streaming on ESPN+.

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