ABILENE, Texas — It will all come down to Senior Day in Stephenville.
The Texans (7-3-8, 5-1-3 UAC) and Wildcats (7-2-8, 4-0-5 UAC) played to a 1-1 draw in Abilene, Texas, on Thursday night, making the final regular season day for Tarleton State, Abilene Christian and Central Arkansas a chance at a UAC Red Division championship for all three teams.
With the draw, the Texans lead the Red Division (and the entire UAC) with 18 points. ACU remains a point behind them at 17, and Central Arkansas recorded a draw with Little Rock to sit at 15 points. Tarleton State and Central Arkansas square off Sunday at 1 p.m. in Stephenville in the regular season finale. If the Texans win, they are the UAC Red Division champs and will be the No. 1 seed in the UAC Women's Soccer Championship, earning a bye to the semifinals. If the Texans draw, they will need ACU to draw or lose against Little Rock on Sunday, in order to clinch the title. If the Texans lose on Sunday, ACU would also need to lose for Tarleton State to have a chance at a tiebreaker against Central Arkansas for the title.
Tarleton State would have claimed the UAC Red Division championship with a win on Thursday night, but on the flip side, the Texans were able to maintain their division lead by earning the road draw. After a scoreless first half, the Texans struck first in the second half on an
Avery Mendez goal in the 57th minute, her fifth goal of the year. ACU's Aliyah Anderson tied the match in the 68th minute with her fourth goal of the season.
Tarleton State outshot ACU 20-16, with the Wildcats owning the shots on goal advantage 7-4. The Texans had nine corner kicks to none for ACU.
Texan goalkeeper
Rylie Bloomfield made some big-time saves throughout the contest, finishing with six saves on the day to one goal allowed in 90 minutes. ACU's Bella Medrano had three saves to one goal allowed in 90 minutes.
Tarleton State's
Adelaide Wyrzynski had a team-high six shots, one on goal, with Mendez leading in shots on goal at two.
Jessica Baires had the other shot on goal for the Texans. Along with Bloomfield,
Zoe Daly,
Zoe Ballard, Baires,
Peyton Bryant,
Grace Berry and Isa Bergeron-Prejan played all 90 minutes.
The eight-team United Athletic Conference is split into two divisions, the Red Division and the Blue Division. The top three teams from each division make the conference tournament, which is now settled. Tarleton State, ACU and Central Arkansas have made the postseason from the Red Division. Eastern Kentucky (17 points), North Alabama (12 points) and Austin Peay (five points) have made the postseason from the Blue Division. Little Rock (11 points, Red) and West Georgia (one point, Blue) have been eliminated from postseason contention.
The Texans will host Central Arkansas Sunday at 1 p.m. in the regular season finale at the Tarleton State Soccer Complex. Tarleton State will honor six players on Senior Day.
