CONWAY, Ark. – A battle for first place in the ASUN awaits the women's soccer team on Thursday, as the Bears host Florida Gulf Coast. The Bears and Eagles will face off for the first time in Conway, kicking off at 7 p.m. at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex.
 
It was a successful first week of conference matches for the Central Arkansas (3-5-2, 2-0 ASUN), who took both games out of the gates to establish a delightful head start on the table. After a 1-0 win over Queens, the Bears followed it up with a 5-0 rout against Kennesaw State on Sunday. Four Bears scored last week, including three goals from Sydney Brough. The graduate midfielder also added an assist, tallying seven points and earning her first ASUN Player of the Week award.
 
Not to be lost in the offensive explosion, the efforts of the defense and goalkeeper Kajsa Pruner have also been crucial to the recent success. Back-to-back shutouts to start the conference season was achieved by only three of the 12 teams, and no goalkeeper who accomplished that had more saves than Pruner. Her 10 saves over two matches were the most of any keeper who won both games without allowing a goal, earning her the ASUN Keeper of the Week award.
 
But Thursday, Central Arkansas will face one of its most challenging opponents of the ASUN slate in FGCU. With an 0-2 record against the Eagles, the Bears will seek their first win over the conference foe, but will get to try for the first time at home. The previous two matches have both been in Fort Myers, Fla., in back-to-back weeks of the 2022 season. Central Arkansas closed the regular season with a 2-0 loss to the Eagles before heading right back for the semifinal match of the ASUN Championship, where the Bears fell in double-overtime.
 
The Eagles enter the week at 5-3-1, with wins over USF and FIU already under their belts. FGCU then added two 2-0 wins to start conference, logging three-straight shutouts entering Thursday's contest. Erika Zschuppe, who scored in both games last week, has a team-best 13 points on five goals and three assists already this season. She combines her scoring prowess with Kendal Gargiula, who has four goals to her name as well.
 
Defense, however, is where the Eagles have been truly spectacular this year, allowing just six goals in nine matches. It starts between the posts, where Olivia Molina holds the 12^th best save percent in all of Division I, stopping 89.8 percent of shots on goal. She combines that with a solid back line to allow just .67 goals per match, the second-best mark in the ASUN.
 
Kickoff against the Eagles is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, playing at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats will be available online.