Women’s soccer will come face-to-face with the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles for a second ASUN Championship in a row — this time with a higher rank and higher expectations.
In last year’s championship, the Bears came in as underdogs — ranked No. 6 of only eight teams.
However, UCA made a strong showing in the quarterfinals, knocking out No. 3 Lipscomb University in a penalty shootout that went nine rounds, eventually ending 5-4.
The Bears then advanced to face the No. 2 ranked Eagles in the semifinals.
The 2022 game with FGCU was a nail-biter, with the Eagles eking out 3-2 victory in overtime off a goal in the 103rd minute.
After sending the Bears home, the Eagles won the championship in a penalty shootout with Liberty University.
This year, the Bears are ranked No. 2, with the Eagles flying close behind at No. 3.
The Bears secured a double-bye following their senior day tie against the North Alabama Lions on Oct. 21, leaving the Eagles to fend for a semifinals spot.
FGCU faced off against the Austin Peay Colonels in the quarterfinals Oct. 29, grabbing a decisive 3-2 victory that sent the Colonels packing.
The Eagles and UCA will battle for a spot in the finals at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2 in Nashville, Tennessee.
UCA coach Jeremy Bishop said the team is ready for the match.
“We are excited for tournament play. We battled all season long to get to this point.
“First with nonconference matches, where we figured out a lot about ourselves and how we needed to play to be successful. Then through conference matches, we were able to play at a high level,” he said.
“One loss over the last 11 matches is remarkable and a credit to this group’s perseverance and commitment. I’m looking forward to seeing us continue to perform well in the semifinals next Thursday.”
The Bears’ overall record of 8-6-5 pales in comparison to their ASUN Conference record of 7-1-3. The team’s one loss was against No. 1 ranked Lipscomb University, who will face the No. 4 ranked North Alabama Lions. The Lions knocked out No. 8 Queen’s University in their quarterfinal matchup.
The Bears’ strong conference season has earned its players a litany of postseason honors.
Junior Kelly Van Gundy was named Midfielder of the Year and earned spots in the First Team All-ASUN and Academic All-ASUN team. Junior defender Gabby Thies joined her in the Academic All-ASUN team.
Van Gundy said, “I’m super excited for our team going into the tournament.
“We have all worked very hard to get the No. 2 seed and the whole season was a team effort.
“I’m proud of how our team has overcome the challenges that we faced this season. I truly believe we have all the talent to be the best in the ASUN this year.”
Van Gundy said the “conference tournament gives us our chance to prove” their skills.
In graduate student and midfielder Sydney Brough’s last season with the team, she earned a spot on the Second Team All-ASUN, alongside junior defender Gabby Thies and sophomore forward Trace Pavatt.
Brough said she feels “very confident” about the team’s chances against FGCU, and that she can thank her experience for her calmness.
“Being someone who has played in a few conference tournament games is helping my mental aspect,” Brough said. “Knowing that the girls I have behind me are just as excited as I am means so much.”
“As for the team, I feel that practices have been intense and everyone is very focused on the game in front of us.
“We all have the same goal and our energy is high. The second seed placement was important for us as we all wanted the double-bye. Having rest at this point in the season is not common so we took advantage of our time off. Overall we’re all very excited and so ready for this,” Brough said.
Freshman midfielder Megan Moudy has made a name for herself on the team during her first season and was awarded a spot on the ASUN Conference’s All-Freshman Team.
Moudy is the third-highest scorer on the team, behind Brough in second and Van Gundy in first.
The Bears’ Nov. 2 match against the Eagles (11-4-4, 7-1-3 ASUN) can be streamed on ESPN+, with kickoff at 6 p.m.