Box Score AUSTIN, Texas – The UALR soccer team hung with Texas on the field, but the Trojans could not get its offense going in a 2-0 loss at Mike A. Myers Stadium on Monday night.
Goalie Bre Ilkuf set a new career high with nine saves, but the Longhorns got their game-winning goal in the fifth minute on a penalty kick. They added an insurance goal midway through the second half to seal the contest.
UALR (11-5-1) just missed out on a perfect non-conference schedule, with Monday's loss its only defeat of the season against non-Sun Belt opposition. Texas (8-6-2) won its second consecutive non-conference game against a Sun Belt school after defeating Texas State back in September.
The Trojans struggled to control possession in their offensive half of the field, taking three shots all night and just one on goal. Texas claimed 12 corner kicks on the evening, though they did not gain any quality chances off of them.
After an early Longhorns strike was called back because of an offside ruling, Texas got a goal that counted in the fifth. Sharis Lachappelle drew a foul in the penalty box and converted the penalty kick herself, making it a 1-0 lead for the home team.
The rest of the first half saw the Trojans buckle down defensively and only allow a couple dangerous opportunities for the Longhorns. Though Texas did take six corner kicks, the team did not get any clear chances off of them. And Ilkuf was solid in net, saving all four shots she saw in the run of play.
UALR stayed competitive throughout the night, but the Longhorns got their insurance goal in the 71st minute. Julie Arnold got the ball near the midfield and dribbled up through the pitch to just outside the penalty box. The senior rocketed a shot inside the near post, just beating a diving Ilkuf to make it 2-0.
Playing in front of a hometown crowd and most of her high school soccer team, freshman Fali Garuba started the contest and played 60 minutes. Garuba's hometown, Pflugerville, is just 20 minutes north of Austin.
Ariel Galletti had UALR's only shot on goal all evening, and that came in the sixth minute. The Trojans had multiple dangerous opportunities throughout the night, including a well-placed cross right at the start of the second half, but Texas was able to get to most long balls and cut off passing lanes.
Garuba had the team's best opportunity in the 75th minute, nearly getting on the end of a Quin Wilkes long ball. But Texas goalie Ava Vogel just beat her to it, knocking the ball away from danger before Garuba could chip it into the net.
UALR saw 90 minutes of action from six different players. The back line of Amanda Wilkinson, Kailie Holloway, Linnea Kogsta and Lauren Brownrigg played the entirety of the game, as did midfielder Hali Long and Ilkuf in net. Mikayla Uyokpeyi sat for just seven minutes of action, and Alyson Rohane and Louise Kallin played for more than an hour as well.
Lexus VanPelt – a native of Texas – saw half an hour in the field while Maila Carboni, Quin Wilkes, Laureen Brilka and Kayla Turner also got in on the action.
The Trojans returns to Sun Belt play this weekend when Troy comes to Little Rock on Friday night at 7 p.m. UALR closes out its year with South Alabama on Sunday at 1 p.m.
