Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas-Little Rock freshmen Maria Ferrato and Cindy Jenkins tallied goals on Sunday afternoon to give the Trojans' six seniors a proper sendoff in the form of a 2-1 win over Western Kentucky on Senior Day.
"I'm so proud of the way our girls played today. It's been a tough year and we've been depleted by injuries, but today our girls came out and played with pride and emotion and it made a tremendous difference," said UALR head coach Greg Hess.
Seniors Jessica Burke and Marsha Stewart made big contributions in the win, as Burke assisted on the first goal of the game, while Stewart came up with eight saves to secure the victory for UALR (3-14-1, 2-7 Sun Belt). The Lady Toppers (6-7-3, 4-2-1) totaled 18 shots on the day, including 10 on goal, but were only able to beat Stewart on a penalty kick by Jenna Silverberg in the 39th minute.
Ferrato put the Trojans on the board with her team-leading fifth goal of the season, when she beat WKU keeper Nikki Ryan off a pass from Burke 24:37 into the game. Jenkins made it a 2-0 contest 11 minutes later when she followed up a shot by freshman Jessica Beaver for her first collegiate goal.
"I'm very encouraged by the fact that all of our goals this season have been scored by freshman," said Hess. "We're all very excited about the future and what's in store for this team next year."
Leading 2-1 at the intermission, the Trojan defense held its ground in the second half to hand WKU its second loss in league play. UALR survived eight WKU corner kicks in the second half, while Stewart came up with seven saves down the stretch.
Sunday's match marked the final home game for UALR seniors Stewart, Burke, Lora Thomas, Laura Cook, Stacie St. Julian and Colby Keesee. The Trojans close out the 2005 season on Wednesday when they head to Southeast Missouri State.
"It's been a good ride for this senior class and I'm glad they were able to end their careers on a positive note," said Hess. "They've helped raise the level of this program and hopefully we can continue to build on what they've worked for in the future."
