The Arizona Wildcats have shown that they can compete with other Big 12 soccer teams. Now they just need to defeat one.
Arizona has played four matches in conference play. Three of them ended in draws. A win or two this weekend would go a long way towards helping the Wildcats reach postseason play, even if that only means the Big 12 Tournament. The top eight teams in the league will advance to the conference tournament in November.
First up is a team that is accomplishing something Arizona is trying
to replicate. They’re also a team that could give the Wildcats an RPI boost with a victory.
The Houston Cougars were not very competitive their first two years in the Big 12. The finished 14th in 2023, their first year in the league. The next year, they were 15th with a 1-10 record. Their one win came against Arizona. It likely kept the Wildcats out of the NCAA Tournament their first year after leaving the Pac-12.
Things have been on the upswing the last two seasons. The Coogs finished two spots outside the final conference tournament spot last year. Although they only won two matches, they were far more competitive. After losing 10 times the year before, they had five draws in 2025.
This year, they look like a team that will be in Mansfield, Tex. for the conference tournament. They might be preparing for the NCAA Tournament.
Up Next for Arizona Soccer
Houston Cougars (7-2-3, 3-1-0) @ Arizona Wildcats (3-5-4, 0-1-3)
When: Thursday, Oct. 8 @ 7 p.m. MST
Where: Mulcahy Soccer Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
Streaming: ESPN+
Stats: Arizona Live Stats
Iowa State Cyclones (4-5-3, 0-3-1) @ Arizona Wildcats (3-5-4, 0-1-3)
When: Saturday, Oct. 11 @ 1 p.m. MST
Where: Mulcahy Soccer Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
Streaming: ESPN+
Stats: Arizona Live Stats
Houston will come into the game fourth in the Big 12 standings. At 3-1, have as many conference wins as in their first two seasons combined. They have just two fewer than the last three years combined. Their RPI of 37 has them in a good spot for postseason consideration.
All of those things could be beneficial for Arizona, but only if the Wildcats can pull off the win. Another draw is unlikely to help much, especially when that game will be followed by a matchup with 15th-place Iowa State. Even a win against the RPI’s No. 186 team is probably not going to boost Arizona’s numbers, although a loss would certainly damage them.
The Wildcats will be playing in Mulcahy Soccer Stadium for just the second and third times in Big 12 play. Their last outing in Tucson was a 1-1 draw against then-No. 23 BYU on Sept. 18. Coming off their best offensive performance of the season last week at Oklahoma State, they have an opportunity to ride the momentum to their best win of the season.
Arizona scored three goals in Stillwater. It was their highest offensive output in conference play since they hosted the Cowgirls in Tucson last season. It matched their highest offensive output overall this year, a 3-0 victory over NAU last month.
It will be a tough challenge against the Cougars, though. UH has the second-best goals against average in the conference at just 0.58. That ranks 24th in the nation.
Many teams have their numbers jump once they get into conference play. They have gone up for the Cougars, but they are still one of the best in the league.
Houston has allowed just three goals in league matches and two of those were to No. 18 West Virginia last week. The three goals in four games averages out to 0.75 goals allowed per match against other Big 12 teams. The Cougars are one of four teams at the top of the conference in that stat, joining Texas Tech, WVU, and BYU.
Arizona will have to play above its previous averages if it hopes to challenge UH. The Wildcats come in next-to-last overall with 1.39 goals allowed per match. That number increases to 1.75 goals allowed per conference match, which also ranks 15th in the 16-team league.
On the positive side, the output at Oklahoma has pushed the Wildcats up the conference rankings in goals scored. UA now averages 1.25 goals scored per game, coming in tied with WVU and Arizona State for the eighth-best average. That is an improvement of their overall 1.167 goals per match this season, a number that ranks 15th in the league.
The Wildcats are moving in the right direction on the offensive side of play. Now is the time to take the next step.
Both teams have been off since last Friday, so beyond the travel, there is no advantage in the number of rest days between matches. With seven matches left in the regular season, the time is getting short for the Wildcats to improve their RPI of 116.
The ’Cats have the opportunity to shock Houston just as the Cougars shocked them two years ago. Can they ride the offensive momentum from last week and start rewriting their story? They need only look to the other bench to know that it’s possible.
