CONWAY, Ark. – Back at home for the next ASUN match, the Central Arkansas women's soccer team returns to the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex to take on Bellarmine. Kickoff against the Knights is set for 7 p.m.
 
Last week saw the Bears (5-6-3, 4-1-1 ASUN) split two matches, defeating Austin Peay before suffering the first ASUN loss of the season at Lipscomb. The 2-1 win over the Governors was thanks to Trace Pavatt's goal just 30 seconds into the second half, while the 1-0 loss to Lipscomb came via a penalty kick.
 
Despite the loss, the Bears remain in the driver's seat at second in the conference standings. With just five games remaining on the schedule, Central Arkansas plays one more team in the top-four (EKU), two teams that do not currently qualify for postseason (Bellarmine, Jacksonville) and two teams that would qualify if the season ended today (North Alabama, North Florida).
 
The Bears have been on a roll since conference play has started, holding the second-best scoring margin in the league, outscoring opponents 10-3 in six matches. Sydney Brough is third in the ASUN in scoring, netting three goals, while Pavatt ranks fifth with two scores. In goal, Kajsa Pruner has only allowed three total goals since league play has started, giving up just a .500 goals per match, the third-fewest in the league. She also ranks third in save percentage, stopping 89.7 percent of shots on goal.
 
Central Arkansas faces a Bellarmine team that has just a single win in conference, but has forced three draws as well. Last season, the Bears and Knights came to a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, in a game that was extremely even. Central Arkansas had a slight advantage in shots, 15-12, with a 6-5 margin in shots on goal, but neither side was able to establish much of an advantage in any way, shape or form.
 
The Knights (4-4-5, 1-2-3 ASUN) picked up their third draw of the conference season with a 1-1 finish against North Florida. Bellarmine needed only three shots on goal, and six all day, to earn the point against the Ospreys, who outshot the Knights 18-6. In fact, the Ospreys were the ones coming from behind, allowing a 25^th minute goal from Bellarmine's Alexa Orozco.
 
Orozco's goal was the second of the season for the redshirt sophomore, who became the fifth Knight to log multiple goals this season. The team is led by Brielle Heuglin, who has four goals to her tally this year. In conference, however, it's been scoring by committee: zero Knights have multiple goals since conference play has started, but six players have a single goal to their name.
 
Between the posts, the Knights have played three keepers, with Cambria Kingman starting all 13 games, and Natalie Schutte and Shelby Smith each making appearances. It much resembles last season's Bears, who rotated keepers at half for several matches. Kingman has yet to play an entire game, playing all 13 first halves this year. The three keepers have combined for a 1.31 goals against average, making 77 saves on 81.9 percent save rate.
 
Kickoff against the Knights is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats are available online.