CONWAY, Ark. – In Nashville for the ASUN Championships after 12 days off, the Central Arkansas women's soccer team hits the pitch tomorrow for a 6 p.m. match against the No. 3 seed Florida Gulf Coast. It marks the third-straight ASUN Semifinal appearance for the Bears, who have made it a step away from the finals in all three years in the conference.
 
It's been nearly two weeks since the Bears (8-6-5, 7-1-3 ASUN) took the field, having closed the regular season against North Alabama. The 0-0 tie extended the team's unbeaten streak to five matches, and locked in a conference slate that saw just a single loss, the first such happening for the Bears since 2018, when they were a member of the Southland Conference.
 
With such a successful regular season, it was only just that several players would be rewarded with postseason honors: Kelly Van Gundy was named the ASUN Midfielder of the Year, and she was joined by Sydney Brough, Trace Pavatt and Gabby Thies on All-ASUN teams. Megan Moudy was named to the league's All-Freshman team, having also contributed in a major way this season.
 
Going up against FGCU, the Bears take on a quality opponent that took some last-second action to beat in the regular season, winning on a goal from Anna Kerr in the 90th minute in Conway. The Eagles outshot the Bears 16-7, and Central Arkansas was held to just two shots on goal, but they were the only ones necessary, as both found the net in a 2-1 final. At the end of the regular season, the Bears and Eagles carried the same conference record, meaning that the result from the head-to-head contest broke the tie in favor of the Bears.
 
Florida Gulf Coast made it to the semifinals after defeating the No. 7 seed Austin Peay on Sunday. The 3-2 final score came after the Eagles scored three-straight goals rom the 66^th to 72^nd minutes, blitzing the Governors and never looking back. Austin Peay scored in the 82^nd minute to make it interesting, but couldn't find a third goal to equalize the match before the final whistle.
 
The Eagles landed six players on the postseason awards lists, highlighting what a dangerous team FGCU has. Stylistically, FGCU has been a great defensive team, allowing only 14 goals across 19 matches. Olivia Molina has been terrific in goal, making 100 saves on an 87.7 percent clip, giving up 0.74 goals per 90 minutes.
 
Central Arkansas has a chance to make its first ASUN Championship Finals appearance since joining the league. The winner between the Bears and Eagles will face the winner of No. 1 seeded Lipscomb and the No. 4 seed North Alabama. Last season's ASUN Championship saw the Bears and Eagles battle in the semifinal round as well, with FGCU edging out a 3-2 win. Kerr and Pavatt both scored for Central Arkansas, but the Bears couldn't find a goal in either overtime period, falling on a 104^th minute score.
 
The Bears kick off against the Eagles on Thursday at 6 p.m. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online.