CONWAY, Ark. – After an absolutely grueling nonconference schedule that saw the Bears play three ranked teams and two more teams eventually earn votes in major polls, the Central Arkansas men's soccer team turns its attention now to the matches that mean just a little bit more, the start of ASUN play. First up, Bellarmine comes to Conway on Saturday for a rematch of last season's ASUN Semifinal, kicking off at 7 p.m. at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex.
Despite a 1-4-1 start for the Bears, the competition has been fierce, with Central Arkansas playing easily one of the hardest schedules in the country. With Memphis and SIUE now receiving votes in the latest polls, five of the six matches have been against teams in the top-30 in the country. The schedule has forced the Bears to face a number of different styles of soccer, constantly learning and adapting to top-tier programs in the nation. Last time out, though the Bears fell 2-0 to No. 17 Denver, Central Arkansas made halftime adjustments that evened out play, making the final 45 minutes neck-and-neck with the nationally ranked Pioneers.
The Bears have been buoyed this season by a couple of top performers in the ASUN, namely,
Pietro Fontana and
Connor Wachtel. The Italian forward is second in the conference with three goals, including his multi-goal game against Air Force. And in goal, Wachtel is atop the league in save percentage, stopping 77 percent of shots on goal, and second in total saves with 23. Wachtel has one shutout this season, and has not allowed more than two goals in a game this year.
Central Arkansas has owned the series with Bellarmine, holding a 3-0-1 record against the Knights, with two of the wins coming in postseason. Starting the series when Bellarmine joined the ASUN, the teams have faced off twice in the regular season and twice in postseason play. The first three matches all ended in shutouts in favor of the Bears, marking three straight wins. Last season's ASUN Semifinal ended tied at 2-2, but the Bears advanced on PKs, winning 3-0 thanks to
Zach Schawl in goal, stuffing three-straight by the Knights.
The Knights come to Conway carrying a 1-1-3 record, having picked up their first win of the season last weekend against Eastern Illinois. The 2-0 win was the team's second-straight shutout, and was due in large part to two first-half goals. Both scores were within the first 25 minutes; Calle Sjoberg netted the first score in the 16
th and teammate Brendan Schoemehl added the second in the 21
st. Defensively, Bellarmine held Eastern Illinois to just one shot on goal, which keeper Matthew Brozovich was able to handle.
It's been an interesting schedule for Bellarmine this season, for sure. With more draws than results one way or the other, the Knights have either tied with opponents or been on either side of a shutout. The one win was the aforementioned shutout over Eastern Illinois, and the one loss on the season was a 3-0 defeat against Louisville. The other three games have ended in draws, 0-0, 1-1 and 2-2, making it difficult to get a real read on this Bellarmine squad. And the numbers support that, with shots being nearly identical (49-55 in favor of their opponents) as well as shots on goal (20-22, also in favor of Bellarmine's opponents). Even down to fouls (52-52) and corner kicks (24-23), Bellarmine and its opponents have mirrored one another down to the details.
Kickoff against the Knights is set for 7 p.m. at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online.
