ACU Earns First Win Over Nelson
Glendale, Ariz. – Arizona Christian picked up its first victory of the 2026 season Friday night, defeating Nelson University Arizona, 3-1. The Firestorm controlled the pace of play from start to finish, improving to 1-1-1 on the year behind a balanced offensive attack and a dominant performance in possession.
MATCH INFO
Score: Nelson (AZ) – 1 , Arizona Christian – 3
Records: Nelson (AZ) – 0-3 | Arizona Christian – 1-1-1
Location: ACU Soccer Field, Glendale, AZ
STAT TRACKER
Raul Aranda – 1 goal
Jose Garcia – 1 goal, 1 assist
Caleb Anderson – 1 goal
Josh Flanagan – 2 assists
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- ACU broke through in the 19th minute when Raul Aranda found the back of the net for his first goal of the season. Jose Garcia set up the scoring play with a well-placed assist to give the Firestorm an early 1-0 advantage.
- The lead doubled just before halftime as Garcia continued his impressive night, finishing a pass from Josh Flanagan in the 32nd minute to send ACU into the break with a 2-0 cushion.
- Nelson (AZ) cut the deficit to one midway through the second half on a goal, but the Firestorm remained composed and continued to generate scoring opportunities.
- ACU’s relentless attack paid off in the 87th minute when freshman Caleb Anderson netted his first collegiate goal off Flanagan’s second assist of the evening
- ACU defeated Nelson (AZ), 3-1.
THOUGHTS FROM COACH TED KRZYWIECKI
“Tonight was a full team effort. Proud of the guys for hanging tough. We got a great game from a Nelson side that played incredibly hard. We are creating a volume of high quality chances and I know that those will convert as we move forward. Lots of positives to build on!”
NEXT UP
On Thursday, the Firestorm will go on their first road game of the season as they travel to Klamath Falls, Oregon to play Oregon Tech at 1pm.
