Trojans Set for Match with Reigning Sun Belt Champion

LITTLE ROCK- After a two-game road trip, the Trojans will host reigning Sun Belt champions South Alabama on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. Head Coach Mark Foster will face his former team for the first time.
 
Trojan Report
The Trojans notched four points last weekend, picking up a point in a 1-1 draw with top-of-the-table Texas State. Little Rock also grabbed an impressive 1-0 win over ULM to come out of the weekend unbeaten. As the team heads into the halfway point of their conference schedule, the Trojans currently sit in fourth with seven points. This leaves them six points behind conference-leading Texas State with 13 points but only two points behind the two teams tied for second place, Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina, currently on nine points.
 

Little Rock vs. South Alabama
Date	Oct. 7, 2018
Time	1 p.m.
Location	Little Rock, Ark.
Stadium	Coleman Sports and Rec. Complex
Stats	StatBroadcast
Video	LRTrojans.com

Trojan Leaders
Liesa Seifert has continued her impressive form for the Trojans. She notched her second goal of the season from the penalty spot against the Bobcats. Arola Aparicio Gili scored the other Trojan goal which would prove the be the game-winner over ULM. Peyton Laughley tallied an assist on Aparicio Gili's goal, her second of the season. Jaclyn Purvine still leads the team with 16 points and seven goals while Doro Greulich leads with four assists. Sairra Tucker and Greulich are tied for third in the conference with 14 total shots. Sara Johannsdottir has also been very solid between the posts as she is tied for the conference lead in shutouts with two.
 
Last Time Out
In the first match of the weekend, the Trojans were matched against a quality side in Texas State. The Bobcats got out to an early lead with a goal from the leading goal-scorer in the Sun Belt, Kaylee Davis. Little Rock got back into the game, however, and dominated the run of play for the much of the match. A nice run of play led to a foul in the penalty box and the Trojans were awarded a penalty kick which Seifert promptly knocked home to equalize the score. After two overtime periods, a draw was the result and both teams would walk away with a hard-earned point. Little Rock scored quickly in the second match of the weekend against ULM. Aparicio Gili's goal would be enough as the Trojans held on for the 1-0 road victory to cap off the unbeaten weekend.
 
Scouting the Jaguars
After winning the Sun Belt in 2017, South Alabama struggled to start their 2018 campaign, posting a 4-7 overall record (2-2 Sun Belt). The Jaguars played five opponents from Power-5 conferences in their non-conference schedule. As for their conference schedule, South Alabama has struggled to put the ball in the back of the net as they have been shutout in two of their four matches. However, the Jaguars are coming off an impressive 2-0 victory over Georgia Southern. The team contains four different players who have scored multiple goals this season, showing that they have many offensive threats on their side. Junior goalkeeper Justice Stanford also set their school record for shutouts after last week's win.
 
Series History
Little Rock's matchup with South Alabama marks the 26^th in the teams' history. The Jaguars have had the upper-hand in the series as they hold a 19-5-1 series lead. The Trojans played South Alabama tough in their final conference game last season, losing in heartbreaking fashion as the Jaguars notched a late goal to pick up a 1-0 win. Little Rock then fell 4-0 to the reigning Sun Belt champions in the conference tournament.
 
Looking Ahead
Next weekend, the Trojans will travel to Lafayette, La. for a matchup with Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 12 before returning to the Coleman Sports and Recreation Complex to host rival Arkansas State on Oct. 14.
 
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