Box Score LITTLE ROCK – The UALR soccer team clinched a berth in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season despite a 2-1 loss to league champion South Alabama on Sunday afternoon.
UALR (11-7-1, 2-6-1 Sun Belt Conference) finished the league season with seven points and in the eighth position in the standings. ULM had a chance to surpass the Trojans on Sunday with a victory, but ULM lost by a 4-2 score at Louisiana, securing the eighth spot for UALR.
UALR has now made the Sun Belt Tournament for the second consecutive season.
The Trojans will play this same South Alabama team on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Sun Belt Tournament quarterfinals in Mobile, Ala.
Fali Garuba had UALR's goal in the first half, but it was sandwiched between two South Alabama goals. Bre Ilkuf started the game in net for UALR and made two saves. Sara Cavanagh played a perfect second half, making four saves and allowing no goals.
The Jaguars got on the board first with a goal by Nina Rabsatt-Smith. The Trojans attempted a pass backward to the defense, but Rabsatt-Smith got to the ball first. She beat two UALR defenders in the box with a cut inside, and shot the ball past Ilkuf for the 1-0 lead.
The Trojans equalized 27 minutes later as Garuba got her team-leading ninth goal of the season. Mikayla Uyokpeyi got the ball on the left side of the offense, and she lifted a high pass to the top of the box. Garuba brought the ball down and had some space in front of her, beating South Alabama's Sarah Hay for the equalizer. Uyokpeyi picked up her team-leading sixth assist on the goal.
But the UALR lead was short-lived. The Jaguars' leading scorers, Rio Hardy and Chardé Hannah, teamed up for the goal that put their team back on top. Hannah rocketed a shot from the left side of the penalty box that Ilkuf knocked away, but the rebound went right to the head of Hardy. She nudged the ball into the open net for the 2-1 lead.
In the second half, UALR threw everything forward but was unable to get the equalizing goal. The team took seven shots in the second half and four on goal, but Hay was equal to all of the chances. Uyokpeyi had a great strike near the six-yard box with less than 10 minutes to go, but the shot sailed high.
Sunday's game was also Senior Day, the Trojans' final home game of the year. UALR honored seniors Ariel Galletti, Amanda Wilkinson, Alyson Rohane, Kailie Holloway, Lexus VanPelt and Hannah McIntyre before the game to honor their contributions to Trojan soccer over the last four years.
The Trojans now have 10 days off before the Sun Belt Tournament, when they will take on South Alabama in Mobile. The tournament quarterfinal is set for a 7 p.m. start on Nov. 5.
