CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas men's soccer team has one more home game this season, and will face Queens at the Bill Stephens Complex on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Bears will celebrate their senior class prior to kickoff against the Royals.
 
The Bears (3-8-2, 2-1-1 ASUN) had been rolling through the ASUN since the start of October, getting at least a point out of the first three conference matches, including wins over Bellarmine and Lipscomb. But the last two matches (at No. 25 SMU, at Bellarmine) have not gone the way of the Bears, and suddenly, a team that was on a tear has been slowed down over the last 180 minutes. But there is plenty of game left to right the ship; with two games left, all Central Arkansas needs is a draw to clinch a berth in the ASUN Championship.
 
And last time the Bears and Royals played, that's exactly what both teams got, was a point in the standings via a 1-1 draw. In Charlotte in late September, Maxim Sheenkov's equalizer right before half set up the tie for the squads, and Sheenkov has blossomed offensively since his first goal of the year. He now leads the team in total points, and is tied for most goals, having four goals and one assist this season. Even more impressive has been his efficiency: He has four goals on eight shots, six of which have been on target. For context, the ASUN's leader in goals has eight scores on 34 shots, just twice the goals on four times the shots.
 
Before kickoff, though, the Bears will celebrate their eight seniors that will walk for senior day. These Bears have been a part of 21 wins in Purple and Gray, and have been two a pair of ASUN Championship Finals, including the 2024 ASUN Finals last year. The group is headlined by four-year Bear Pietro Fontana, who has 23 career goals and has been named to numerous all-conference and all-region teams.
 
Queens enters the weekend 5-5-5 overall and 0-1-3 in ASUN matches. The Royals have tied each of their last three contests, including a 0-0 draw at No. 19 Duke on Tuesday. The Royals have been a quality defense all season, allowing multiple goals in just two games since August 25^th, and only once against an ASUN program. But on the other side, the Queens offense has not done much heavy lifting of its own, scoring just 11 goals in 15 matches. With just three players with multiple goals, it takes a tremendous defensive effort to keep the Royals in games this season, and with six shutouts, it generally happens.
 
Kickoff against the Royals is set for 7 p.m. at the Bill Stephens Complex. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. As always, attendance is free.