LITTLE ROCK – Fresh off a shutout victory over Missouri State, the Trojans will play host to Sam Houston State on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Coleman Sports & Recreation Complex.
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Saturday's game will also serve as Senior Night to honor the Trojans' three graduating seniors:
Fali Garuba,
Lisa Ryan and
Quin Wilkes.
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So far in her Trojan career, Garuba ranks seventh all-time in program history with 11 assists and eighth all-time in program history with 43 points. She is also tied for 10th all-time in goals with 16 and ninth all-time in attempted shots with 114.
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Wilkes, meanwhile, is eighth all-time in Little Rock history in goals (17) and points (43) while ranking fourth all-time as a Trojan with seven game-winning goals.
Ryan, who joined Little Rock as a defender last season, has played nearly 1,600 minutes over 22 games and has become one of the team's most important defensive stoppers.
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The Trojans enter Saturday's game riding high following a 2-0 blanking of Missouri State at home on Sunday. The win improved Little Rock to 2-0 at home this season as Wilkes and
Liesa Seifert scored their first goals of the season. In goal,
Megan Swanson had her first ever shutout, making three saves to keep the Bears off the scoreboard.
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Little Rock's five goals this year have come off the feet of five different players: Wilkes, Seifert, Arola Aparicio,
Doro Greulich and
Jaclyn Purvine. No Trojan has more than three points on the season.
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Sam Houston State will look to spoil Senior Night for the Trojans. They are coming to Little Roc following a 4-1 loss at No. 22 SMU on Thursday night and with a 2-2 record overall. The Bearkats had their scheduled game on Sunday against Oral Roberts cancelled due to Hurricane Harvey. Before that, Sam Houston State defeated Jackson State 8-0 and Cal State Bakersfield 4-3. Their other loss this year came at UTRGV by a 2-1 score.
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KICK OFF
- For the second straight week, the Trojan soccer team split its games over the weekend when it lost at Texas and won at home against Missouri State.
- Little Rock is 2-0 at home this season and 2-0 against teams with Bears as the mascot.
- Five different players have scored for the Trojans with three of them being international players.
- Quin Wilkes is now tied for eighth all-time in Trojan history in goals and points.
- Eight different players have started all four games for Little Rock this year.
- Megan Swanson got her first career shutout on Sunday against Missouri State.
- The Trojan soccer team had its best-ever season in 2016 with a program-record 12 wins and six conference wins. The team finished third in the Sun Belt, its highest-ever finish.
- The Trojans were picked to finish third in the Sun Belt when the league released its preseason poll last week.
- Senior Quin Wilkes and junior Arola Aparicio were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt team by the league's coaches.
