Little Rock Set for Matches with Cajuns, Red Wolves

LITTLE ROCK- The Trojans look forward to a two-game slate this weekend. The first game will bring Little Rock to Lafayette, La. to take on the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana on Oct. 12 before returning to the Coleman Sports and Recreation Complex for a matchup with rival Arkansas State on Oct. 14. Sunday's match will feature the Trojan Tailgate where fans can expect food prior to the match. This is part of the Fan Appreciate weekend.
 

Trojan Report
The Trojans picked up a very important 2-1 victory over defending Sun Belt champions South Alabama on Sunday. With the win, Little Rock is currently on 10 points as they sit in fourth place in the conference standings. However, the Trojans have a game in hand over second-place Coastal Carolina and two games in hand over first-place Texas State. The maroon and silver have reached the halfway point in the season and still have 15 possible points to earn in conference play before the Sun Belt Tournament. While the top two teams have created a noticeable gap between themselves and the rest of the table, Little Rock's two-game win streak could propel the team for a title push in the second half of the season.
 

Little Rock vs. Louisiana
Date	Oct. 12, 2018
Time	7 p.m.
Location	Lafayette, La.
Stadium	Ragin' Cajun Soccer/Track Complex
Stats	StatBroadcast
Video	RaginCajuns.com

Trojan Leaders
For the second time in as many games, Arola Aparicio Gili delivered the winning goal for the Trojans. The Spanish forward notched her fourth goal last weekend which lands her in third place for most goals scored in the conference. She is also tied for third in points and points per game. In conference play, Aparicio Gili is tied for second in game-winning goals and tied for fourth in goals scored. Liesa Seifert has proven to be a force in the defense yet again, as she played all 90 minutes against a strong offensive unit in South Alabama. Her and the rest of the defensive back line held the Jaguars to one goal and kept most of their attempts on goal outside the penalty area.

Last Time Out
In the only match of the weekend, the Trojans picked up their first win over South Alabama since 2010. Doro Greulich opened the scoring with a powerful strike into the left-hand corner of the net to give Little rock an early 1-0 advantage. A misplaced pass by the South Alabama goalkeeper fell to the feet of Jaclyn Puvine who found Greulich just outside the box to set her up for the shot. The Jaguars equalized just before halftime. A long range effort from Brenna McPartland was saved by Sara Johannsdottir, but Morgan Cross was the first one to the rebounded the ball in the box and she managed to put the ball into the back of the net and level the score at 1-1. The winning moment came in the 87^th minute as Morgan Smocovich fired a long ball to Aparicio Gili who took a touch around the keeper and the ball found its way into the net to give the Trojans the win and the much-needed three points.
 
Scouting the Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana comes into this match tied for sixth in the conference standings. The Ragin' Cajuns struggled in their non-conference schedule and have not won a game away from home this season. The team currently holds a 2-4 record in Sun Belt play and are coming off back-to-back losses to Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina. Louisiana was shutout in both matches. The Ragin' Cajuns have been outscored by their opponents 28-8 this season and have struggled to find the back of the net with a 0.57 goals-per-game average.
 

Little Rock vs. Arkansas State
Date	Oct. 14, 2018
Time	6 p.m.
Location	Little Rock, Ark.
Stadium	Coleman Sports and Rec. Complex
Stats	StatBroadcast
Video	LRTrojans.com

Scouting the Red Wolves
Arkansas State have lost their previous three matches and have only scored one goal in those three games. The Red Wolves are currently tied for fifth in the conference standings, but like the Trojans, have two games in hand over league-leading Texas State. Arkansas State will look to make a run towards the top of the table as they still have the second half of their conference schedule remaining. The Red Wolves have two road matches this weekend and will travel to Troy for their first game on Friday. The team has had decent success offensively, averaging 1.25 goals per game and they have outscored their opponents 15-12 this season.
 
Series History
Little Rock's matchup with Louisiana marks the 19th meeting in the teams' history. The Ragin' Cajuns have had the upper-hand in the series as they hold a 11-5-2 series lead. The Trojans fought Louisiana to a 1-1 draw last season after two overtime periods.  Little Rock will suit up against Arkansas State for the 19th time as well. The Red Wolves lead the all-time series 9-7-2 and won the regular season matchup 1-0 against the Trojans last season. However, Little Rock edged out Arkansas State in a penalty shootout in the first round of the conference tournament last season.
 
Looking Ahead
Next weekend, the Trojans will return home for a two-game home stand. Little Rock will take on Troy on Oct. 19 and then host Georgia Southern on Oct. 21.
 
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