The match against the Temple University Owls will determine if the Cougars can get their first conference victory in the bag. | File photo/The Cougar
After a rough 0-2 road trip, head coach Chris Pfau and his 5-3-1 Cougars will look to bounce back this Thursday against the 3-9 Temple University Owls.
First kick is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Carl Lewis Complex.
Soccer is now 0-2 in conference play and is still looking for their first American Athletic Conference victory. With a 3-1 record at home this season, the Cougars should have a good chance to capture the win before returning to the road next week.
The Cougars had a tough start to their conference play when they visited the University of Central Florida Knights. Soccer couldn’t find the stellar form they had in non-conference play and lost 4-0 to a superior team.
However, the Cougars bounced back and put up a strong fight against the top-25 ranked University of Southern Florida on Sunday. After conceding two early goals in the first 15 minutes of play, the Cougars got a goal back in the second half thanks to Vanessa Almaguer’s penalty kick.
Their efforts were not enough as the team would eventually drop the game 2-1.
Freshman keeper Nicole Young started both games as goalkeeper in place of transfer sophomore Rachel Estopare, who is recovering from a concussion.
Estopare’s status is unknown for Thursday, but having their starting goal keeper between the posts would greatly increase the Cougars’ chance of winning.
The Owls also hit a rough patch in its season. They will head to Houston losing seven out of their last eight games — including a current three-game losing streak.
It’s important that the Cougars win the games against the lower teams due to their 0-2 start in the conference.
