Trojans Set for Senior Day Matchup with Austin Peay

LITTLE ROCK- Little Rock will play their Senior Day match at home this Friday against Austin Peay on Friday Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. Prior to kickoff, seniors Claire Palmer, Bailey Fithian, Logan Strange, Josie Verslues, Arola Aparicio Gili, Sairra Tucker, Nora Hellmers, Camilla Olsson, Jaclyn Purvine and Liesa Seifert will be recognized for their commitment to the Little Rock soccer program. The Trojans will then travel to Itta Bena, Miss. to play Mississippi Valley State Sept. 2 at 2 p.m.
 

Little Rock vs. Austin Peay
Date	Aug. 31, 2018
Time	7 p.m.
Location	Little Rock, Ark.
Stadium	Coleman Sports And Rec. Complex
Stats	StatBroadcast
Video	LRTrojans.com

Trojan Report
The Trojans are coming off two impressive victories in their previous two games. Little Rock grinded out a 1-0 win in Springfield, Mo. to take down reigning Missouri Valley Conference Champion, Missouri State. The maroon and silver would return home on Sunday to win in convincing fashion over UAPB. Three goals in the first 10 minutes propelled the Trojans to a 7-0 victory.
 
Trojan Leaders
Purvine was the standout of the weekend as she would tally three goals and one assist in the two games. Her first goal came in the first half of the Missouri State game and would go on to be the game-winner. Purvine's outstanding weekend continued with a two-goal performance in the match versus UAPB. She helped open the scoring with a great pass to record her first assist of the season. The Moore, Okla. native would score two goals before 10 minutes had been passed. An impressive half-volley gave Purvine her first goal of the match and she headed home a lofted cross to the back post for her second. Maeve Burger was also very impressive in the match against UAPB, recording a two-goal performance of her own. She tapped home Purvine's cross for her first goal and hit a wonderful free kick into the top left corner of the net for her second.
 

Little Rock vs. Mississippi Valley State
Date	Sept. 2, 2018
Time	2 p.m.
Location	Itta Bena, Miss.
Stadium	MVSU Soccer Field
Stats	MVSUsports.com
Video	N/A

Last Time Out
In the first match of the weekend, the Trojans struggled early after playing two difficult double overtime matches the weekend prior. However, Little Rock broke through in the 27^th minute to gain a 1-0 advantage. Great defense the rest of the way was enough to help the Trojans hold on for the win. Little Rock dominated from start to finish in their match against UAPB. Three early goals set the tone for the match. The Trojan defense proved to be too much for the Golden Lions as they were unable to muster a shot in the first half.
 
Scouting the Governors
Austin Peay has started their season very well, posting a 3-0 record thus far. The Governors have yet to concede a goal three games into the season. Outscoring their opponents 7-0 in their opening matches, Austin Peay has proven to be a force in both the attack and the defense. Head Coach Naomi Kolarova has sent out a different starting lineup in all three matchups as a testament to the team's strong depth. This match marks the first of three straight road matches for the Governors. Claire Larose leads the attack with three goals and four players have split the rest of scoring with one goal apiece. Austin Peay has held opponents to an average of seven shots per game while only allowing eight shots on goal all season.
 
Scouting the Devilettes
Mississippi Valley State holds a 1-3 record after their first four matches. The team has been outscored 15-7 as they have struggled particularly on the defensive end. The Devilettes conceded five goals in each of their matches against The Citadel and Mercer. Their opponents have recorded a total of 106 shots to MVSU's 36. The bright spot of the team's attack is Laadi Issaka who has impressively scored five goals in four games. Mississippi Valley State is a very young team in which half their roster is comprised of freshmen.
 
Series History
Little Rock's matchup with Austin Peay marks the fourth in the teams' history. The Governors hold a 3-0 advantage and won last year's matchup 3-0. Little Rock currently lead the all-time series with MVSU 5-0 as the teams head into their sixth all-time meeting. The Trojans found themselves on the winning end in 2016 when they picked up a 3-0 victory over the Devilettes.
 
Looking Ahead
After this weekend, the Trojans have one more weekend of nonconference play as they take on TCU on Sept. 7 and Sam Houston State on Sept. 9. Little Rock will begin their conference schedule the following weekend when they travel to the Carolinas to play Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State.
 
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