COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Playing a night game under lights for the first time in program history, Tennessee Tech had a lot to be excited about on Friday. But it was the new-look Little Rock Trojans who lit up the scoreboard late, playing spoiler to the Golden Eagles in both teams' season-opening contest.
Freshman
Jaclyn Purvine made her presence felt in crunch time, scoring the game-winning goal with just over a minute remaining in the Trojans' 2-1 victory over the Golden Eagles at Tech Soccer Field.
Neither team put a goal on the board until the final quarter of an hour, but it was
Quin Wilkes and Purvine scoring in that time span for Little Rock (1-0) to give the team its second win over Tennessee Tech (0-1) in as many years.
Purvine's game-winner came off a throw-in play with about 1:30 showing on the clock. After the throw, the ball wound up at the feet of
Caitlyn Eddy near midfield. The freshman lifted the ball in the air upfield to sophomore
Fali Garuba, and Garuba headed the ball on to a streaking Purvine. With Garuba drawing a double team, Purvine was all alone. She slotted the ball low and left under the outstretched arm of TTU goalie Kari Naerdemann, stunning a Golden Eagles squad that had just tied the game eight minutes earlier.
Quin Wilkes started the night's scoring in the 77th minute. The Trojan sophomore was in the right place at the right time, capitalizing on a loose ball in the penalty area off a corner kick. Freshman
Talia Graves took the corner kick low and near post, and classmate
Nora Hellmers was there to knock it slightly backward and into a crowded area. Wilkes cleaned up the play, nudging the ball over the line to make it a 1-0 Little Rock lead.
Tennessee Tech made that lead short-lived, though, as Taylor Blazei got a hold of a long pass and beat Trojan keeper
Sara Small near post with a shot from the left corner of the penalty box in the 81st minute.
But any thoughts of overtime ended eight minutes later when Purvine's strike gave the Trojans the win.
The Trojans have now won three consecutive games against Tennessee Tech dating back to the teams' first-ever meeting in 1998 and including last year's 1-0 win where Wilkes scored the only goal on a second-half penalty kick. The Trojans have also won their opening game for the third consecutive year, and they have won 10 of their last 11 games against non-conference opponents.
After a very even first half that saw few quality chances and just one shot on goal for each team, Little Rock came out on fire in the second half and completely controlled the proceedings. The Trojans took 18 shots in the second half to the Golden Eagles' four, and nine of those 18 shots were on goal. Eddy and Wilkes had four shots each in the half while junior forward
Shannon Shields added three.
Small had a quiet night her first college start, facing just two shots on goal but having to come out of the net to play loose balls quickly and efficiently throughout the proceedings.
The first half was much slower, with Little Rock's best early chance coming in the 17th minute as Garuba found the ball at her feet outside the Golden Eagles' penalty area. The sophomore fed a pass forward intended for an all-alone
Quin Wilkes, but the ball was just a bit too far and was scooped up by Naerdemann before Wilkes could get her feet on it.
Twelve minutes later, Eddy took a chance from outside the box, but her curving shot wound up tightly in the chest of Naerdemann. In the 34th minute, Garuba had an opportunity inside the penalty area on a
Shannon Shields throw-in, but the ball was blocked by a Golden Eagles player and would eventually leave the playing area for a goal kick.
The team's last chance of the half came with four minutes remaining when the team earned a long free kick.
Bailey Fithian struck the ball well into a dangerous area, but no one could head the ball on goal or settle it for a shot.
Little Rock returns to the pitch on Sunday afternoon, taking on Belmont in Nashville. The Trojans and Bruins are set for a 4 p.m. kickoff at E.S. Rose Park.
