LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The excitement and the harshness of soccer was on full display Sunday as Little Rock scored the potential winner in the 84
th minute only to see Louisiana even the match less than 30 seconds later, the final score in a 1-1 draw between the two Sun Belt Conference opponents.
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The Trojans (3-5-5, 0-1-3), who have been undefeated in six of their last seven games, struck first as
Fanney Einarsdottir sent a long, arching strike from 22-yards out into the top left corner of the net.
But as Little Rock celebrated, Louisiana (4-4-3, 0-1-2) struck back. Less than 30 seconds later, Telly Vunipola found the corner of the net from just three yards out in a scrum in front of the goal.
Then the chess match that was Sunday's match in regulation – one dominated by strategic moves in order to get in position to score – turned into a back and forth frenzy as the match went into extra time. While the first 45 minutes saw just five shots (all by Little Rock), the two extra time periods combined (a total of 20 minutes) witnessed seven total shots.
"When you score with five or six minutes to go, we really should have been able to see the game out," Little Rock Head Coach
Mark Foster said. "That part hurts. But in extra time, both teams decided to go for it. It made it really exciting when we had it and it made me really nervous when we didn't have it. I think both teams deserve credit for that."
Both teams battled through hot conditions where turf temperatures danced with triple digits yet found the ability to push the game into another gear when the originally scheduled 90 minutes had eclipsed.
"In extra time we both missed good chances," Foster recalled. "It could have gone either way. Sometimes when that happens, a draw is probably a fair result. But in the 90 minutes, we certainly should have won it. We had the better chances, we had the clinical chances."
The Trojans ended the match with 14 shots to Louisiana's 10, with a 10-7 advantage in regulation. Little Rock also had opportunities for set pieces, taking eight corner kicks while only allowing Louisiana four.
Despite the draw, Little Rock added a point to its tally as September draws to a close and the Sun Belt approaches the midway point of the league's conference schedule.
"When you look at the things you control, the girls were excellent today," Foster said. "I am so proud of this team to play two games in three days and both go into extra time in these (hot) conditions. For the girls to find the desire to keep going, I just admire them.
"I really couldn't be happier with our team right now. I admire what they put in to this weekend. If we keep playing like that, we will get the wins that the girls deserve. The most important thing is that our attitude and performance was excellent today."
Little Rock continues a five-match homestand next weeked as the Trojans host Coastal Carolina on Friday, Oct. 4.
For the latest information on Little Rock Soccer, make sure to check out
LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockSOC on
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