Abilene Christian beats EKU in UAC Women's Soccer Championship

Eastern Kentucky University fell 3-1 to Abilene Christian in the United Athletic Conference championship match on Saturday in Conway, Arkansas, ending a historic postseason run.

Eastern Kentucky University Athletics reported that the Colonels finished the season with a 10-7-4 overall record and a 6-2-2 mark in UAC play. EKU captured its second regular-season title in program history while earning the program’s first No. 1 seed in a conference tournament. The team also established single-season program highs with 31 goals, 293 shots, and 130 shots on goal.

Abilene Christian struck early when Amelia Miller scored in the fourth minute after the Wildcats recovered the ball twice in front of the net following Jordan LeVasseur’s deflection of a corner kick. The Wildcats extended their lead late in the first half when Emma Taylor held off a defender and passed across the face of goal to Aliyah Anderson, who finished to make it 2-0 at halftime.

EKU responded after the break by firing seven shots in the second half. Regan Reilly connected with Rachel Phifer in the left corner, and Phifer beat her defender before finding Emma Wolf in the box. Wolf slipped past a defender and fired into the top of the net in the 52nd minute to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Wolf’s goal marked the 31st of the season for the Colonels, breaking the previous single-season program record of 30 goals shared by the 2016 and 2025 squads. EKU pressed for an equalizer and generated its best opportunity in the 71st minute when Phifer lifted a pass over the back line to Ana Manning in the six-yard box, but Manning was unable to secure a clean touch before goalkeeper Bella Medrano made the save.

Abilene Christian secured the victory later in the second half when a goal kick glanced off an EKU player’s head toward the penalty area. Shakira Kafero-Roberts chased down the loose ball and lifted a shot over LeVasseur to seal the 3-1 final score.

Jordan LeVasseur, Juliet Strange, and Chiara Premoli earned selections to the UAC All-Tournament Team. LeVasseur and Strange previously anchored the EKU defense in a shutout against No. 2 seed Tarleton State during the semifinals, while Premoli contributed to the team’s 13 shots on goal across two tournament matches.

The Wildcats move on to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship and await their placement in the field, which will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show at 4 p.m. ET Monday. ET Monday.