Trojans Notch First Sun Belt Win at Louisiana

LAFAYETTE, La. – Arola Aparicio got a goal in the 12th minute, Sara Small made seven saves and the Little Rock soccer team came away with a 1-0 victory over Louisiana on Sunday afternoon.

The Trojans (6-4-0, 1-1-0 Sun Belt) picked up their first win against Louisiana (4-5-1, 0-1-1) since 2011.
 
Aparicio struck early on, as a long back from Sairra Tucker bounced into the penalty area. Aparicio got there first and dribbled the ball to the right of Cajuns keeper Cosette Morche, who had come up to make a play on the pass from Tucker. With a little space, Aparicio poked the ball into the open net to give the Trojans their 1-0 lead.
 
Little Rock had great opportunities throughout the game, including a crossbar hit by Shannon Shields with 10 seconds left in the first half and another struck by Caitlyn Eddy in the second half.
 
The defensive play of the game may have come from Hali Long, who cleared a ball off the line in the 55th minute to keep the Trojans in the lead. Besides Long's crucial clearance, Small picked up a season-high seven saves to earn the win and her third shutout of the year.
 
All told, the Trojans had a slight 16-13 edge in total shots and an 8-7 edge in shots on goal. The teams each took six corner kicks. Long, Samantha Rolka, Mikayla Uyokpeyi and Small each played the full 90 minutes.

Next up for Little Rock will be a trip back to Louisiana on Friday as the team takes on ULM. Kickoff for that game is set for 4 p.m.