CONWAY, Ark. – Back at home for their second match of the ASUN slate, the Bears are back on the pitch to take on Queens. Playing for the first time in Conway, the Royals and Bears kick off at 2 p.m. at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex.
 
Central Arkansas (1-4-2, 0-0-1 ASUN) is looking to build on a 1-1 draw last time out against Bellarmine. Andres Robles cashed in his first goal in Purple and Gray, scoring in the 34^th minute to equalize against the Knights. The Bears and Knights were practically even last Saturday, mirroring one another in shots, shots on goal and saves as the teams drew to open Atlantic Sun play.
 
Now seven matches into the season, the Bears are led by Pietro Fontana's three goals. After a brutal nonconference schedule that featured multiple ranked teams, the Bears are still looking for a groove offensively, but as the chemistry improves, so too should the execution on the field. The defense, along with goalkeeper Connor Wachtel, has continued to be solid, allowing multiple goals just three times this year. Wachtel holds the ASUN's second-best goals against average, letting 1.33 goals per 90 minutes. He also carries the league's best save percent, stopping 75 percent of shots on goal.
 
Last time out against Queens was a thriller in Charlotte, N.C. Down 3-1 with less than ten minutes remaining, the Bears seemed all out of chances to claim the first-ever meeting. But then Fontana scored with just under seven minutes to play, cutting the lead to one. A couple minutes later, the Bears scored again, tying the match with a little less than five minutes to go. In a stunning sequence, Fontana scored again with two and a half minutes left on the clock to take a 4-3 lead, leaving the Royals heartbroken on their home field.
 
Queens (1-4-1, 0-1 ASUN) heads to Conway after a 0-0 draw against Wofford on Tuesday. Despite being outshot 15-5, the Royals held on with a great performance from goalkeeper Evan Morris, who made eight saves to earn his first clean sheet of the season. It was the freshman's first start for Queens, after playing roughly 15 minutes in the previous match against Lipscomb.
 
Opening ASUN play against the Bisons, Queens fell to the reigning champs 4-1 last Saturday, scratching out a 76^th minute goal to avoid the shutout. Mario Goic tallied the score, one of three Royals to score this season. Goic is the lone multi-goal scorer, responsible for two of the four total goals scored.
 
In goal, the keeper duties have normally been handled by Javier Izquierdo-Cuervo, who has five starts and 435 minutes logged this season. But against Lipscomb, Izquierdo-Cuervo came out of the match for the final 14 minutes and change and then missed the Wofford match, with Morris taking over in goal. They have combined for 28 saves and two shutouts, allowing 12 goals this season.
 
Kickoff against the Royals is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday. In conjunction with football being on ESPN+, the match against Queens will be on the Bear Nation Network, and is free for fans to watch. Live stats will also be available online.