CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas men's soccer program gets set for its fourth season in the ASUN, opening conference play with a road match at Bellarmine on Saturday. The Bears are scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff in Louisville, Kentucky.
 
The Bears (3-3) look to bounce back after a two-game skid last week. Last Sunday, the Bears fell 3-1 at home to Florida International, another opponent in what's been one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. Sohma Ichikawa scored the lone goal for the Bears, and has a team-best five points on the season.
 
Central Arkansas has had balanced effort on both sides of the ball this season, with seven Bears scoring goals in 2024. Defensively, the Bears have been able to lean on a core of Elijah Bishop, Edgar Correia and Mattheo Francou, two newcomers and a sophomore. In goal, Javier Ramirez has been special, making 35 saves and allowing just eight goals in six matches. His three clean sheets are first in the ASUN and 11^th in the nation.
 
Since joining the ASUN, Central Arkansas is 3-0-2, with two matches coming in the ASUN Tournament. Last season's 1-1 draw saw Andres Robles punch in the equalizer for the Bears.
 
Bellarmine enters the weekend 2-2-2, having most recently dominated Southern Indiana for an 8-0 win. The Knights scored first in the 16^th minute, and tallied the final goal in the 89^th. Seven Knights got on the scoresheet, including four first-time scorers this season.
 
Outside of that win, the Knights have struggled to score, only making more than two goals once, in the win over Northern Kentucky. The Bears have also gutted out a pair of draws, a scoreless affair against UNC Asheville and a 1-1 result against Belmont.
 
 Saturday's match is set for a 6 p.m. start in Louisville, Kentucky. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live stats available as well.