Trojans Clinch Tourney Berth With OT Win at A-State

JONESBORO – For the third time in as many years, the Little Rock soccer team has clinched a berth in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. This time around, the team did so in dramatic fashion.
 
Quin Wilkes had a goal in the final minute of the first overtime period – adding to her 81st minute goal earlier in the afternoon – as the Trojans defeated rival Arkansas State at the A-State Soccer Complex on Friday.
 
Little Rock (8-5-4, 3-1-3 Sun Belt Conference) entered the weekend in fourth place in league play and had nine points in the standings. With Friday's victory, the Trojans ensured that Arkansas State (3-12-1, 1-5-1) and ULM could not catch them in the standings with two and three games remaining on their schedules, respectively.
 
After falling behind 1-0 in the 16th minute following an own goal, the Trojans had the remaining 74 minutes to fight back for a tie. They did that with a Wilkes goal in the 81st minute, and the sophomore ended things for good with a goal in the 100th minute.
 
The game-winner came after a brief injury delay. An Arkansas State player got hurt with 30 seconds left on the clock and went down at midfield, causing the referees to stop the clock as the player was tended to.
 
When play resumed, the Trojans blasted a long free kick into the penalty box from midfield. The ball bounced off a few heads and bodies and eventually fell to the feet of Wilkes less than 10 yards from goal. Wilkes blasted the ball into the back of the net, giving the Trojans the win and starting a mad celebration on the field as the bench cleared.
 
Her tying goal in the waning minutes of regulation came in similar fashion, resulting from a long throw-in from Shannon Shields.
 
The junior whipped the ball toward goal from the right sideline, bouncing it off the head of Fali Garuba. Garuba redirected the ball closer to the middle of the box, and Wilkes was there with the sliding shot that bounced off Amanda Lee's arm and into the net, tying the game at 1-1.
 
The goal was Wilkes' fourth of the year and 10th of her career. It preceded her fifth goal of the year in overtime. Garuba earned her third assist, and Shields picked up her fourth on Wilkes' first goal.
 
Wilkes becomes the first Trojan to score two goals in a Sun Belt game this year.
 
In the second half overall, Little Rock came out on fire, controlling possession and earning quality chances throughout the half. The team had four corner kick opportunities – three more than it earned in the first half – and put pressure on the Arkansas State back line until it broke.
 
The Trojans fell behind in the 16th minute with an own goal. The ball was bouncing into the penalty area, and a Little Rock defender tried to head it away. Instead, she knocked it backward past Small, resulting in a 1-0 Red Wolves lead.
 
The first half saw the Red Wolves control the game, pushing pace and having the wind at their backs on a very gusty day. The wind and fortunes changed completely when the second half began.
 
Friday was the Trojans' second consecutive victory over Arkansas State and their first win in the Red Wolves' home since 2004. The team has also not lost in six games, extending a school record streak.
 
Little Rock concludes the regular season with a two-game trip to Alabama. The Trojans first battle league leaders South Alabama on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. before ending the year at Troy on Oct. 25 at 1 p.m.