SPRINGFIELD, MO.- Head Coach
Mark Foster earned his first win for Little Rock as the Trojans grabbed a 1-0 victory over reigning champions of the Missouri Valley Conference, Missouri State.
"I feel like we could have and should have scored a few more goals," said Foster. "But overall it was about how the girls grinded out a win in the end and got us our first win of the season. Soccer is just a team game, obviously I'm delighted to get it [first win] but I'm more delighted for the girls to get their reward. They worked really hard in the Central [Arkansas] game and the Kentucky game and didn't get what they deserved. Tonight, it was awesome to see the girls get their rewards."
Jaclyn Purvine provided the game-winning touch with a goal in the 27
th minute, her first of the season.
Coming off two difficult double overtime matches, the Trojans looked to be slightly off the pace to start the game. The Bears dominated in the attacking third of the pitch, creating a multitude of opportunities in the first 20 minutes.
However,
Sara Johannsdottir remained solid between the posts making four saves in the match for her first shutout of the 2018 season. The defense lead by
Liesa Seifert,
Bergros Asgeirsdottir and
Samantha Rolka proved to in control. The three experienced defenders played all 90 minutes to preserve the shutout.
Astros Luckas also made her Little Rock debut on the night.
The winning moment came when
Sairra Tucker made a run down the touchline to beat the fullback. Tucker's cross across the byline found Purvine in the box as she provided a composed one-touch finish from 8 yards out to give the Trojans a 1-0 advantage. This was the first goal of the season for the Moore, Okla. native
Little Rock held their own in the second half and played a tightly contested match in which neither team could take control of the game. Missouri State out-shot the Trojans by a narrow margin (9-8) but Little Rock were much more efficient with their opportunities with six shots on target compared to the Bears' four. The Trojans defended well against a frantic Missouri State in the final stages to pick up their first win of the season.
The Trojans return to action Sunday Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. when they take on in-state rival UAPB from the SWAC.
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