LITTLE ROCK - The Little Rock soccer team (2-4-1, 2-2-1 Sun Belt) hits the road this weekend for rematch with Texas State (2-8-1, 2-4-0 Sun Belt) on Sunday, October 18. The game, scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff, is slated to appear on ESPN+ for those wanting to watch from home. Fans are welcome to cheer for Little Rock on the road, but must abide by Texas State's social distancing policies.
Coach's Preview
The Trojans are looking strong headed into the weekend, coming off two straight clean sheets. The first was a 2-0 victory at ULM, while the second was this past Thursday night's double overtime tie against division-leading Arkansas State, marking the only time that the Red Wolves have walked away without the definite win this season. Little Rock will need to bring their grit and confidence with them to Texas State this Sunday, as road games can be difficult at the end of a long week of play.
"Every time you travel on a Saturday and play Sunday in the afternoon heat having played a game a couple of days before, those games aren't always the prettiest," admits head coach Mark Foster. "Those games are about who wants it the most and I think Sunday will be another one of those. Luck is part of sports, but I also believe that you make your own luck."
With the way that Little Rock has been playing, Sunday looks promising for the Trojans, as it was evident that the team showed up to fight last Thursday. Recently, the back line has been on top of keeping their opponents out of the box and clearing balls, while the attack has become more and more efficient and clean throughout the last couple of games. Little Rock's defense continues to be a highlight, with every one of the starting back four racking up over 600 minutes along with goalkeeper Saskia Wagner's full 650 minutes between the posts.
However, keep an eye out for several forwards to have a breakthrough match, which is entirely possible within such a short season. Two of those include Mari Young and Peyton Laughley, both looking to earn their first goal after weeks of applying consistent offensive pressure and creating close chances at hitting net.
A Glance at the Matchup
Last month, Little Rock defeated Texas State for the first time in the regular season, notching a 2-0 victory at home. Since then, the Bobcats have only won one of their last four games, but Texas State was able to hold Arkansas State off until falling in double overtime 1-0 last weekend. The Bobcats have had a week to recover and the home field advantage this time around, so the Trojans will need to be mentally tough at San Marcos in order to secure a winning record against Texas State this season.
"Whether it be Texas State or ourselves, they've had some good results and then some other results that make you think oh, wonder what happened there," mused Coach Foster. "You have to step back and realize it's an unprecedented season. There's players out, missing training, and not as many games as normal, so I think that's the reason why you see some unusual results or inconsistencies."
"Make no mistake, Texas State is a very well-coached team and one of the best in the league the past few years, so on their day they can beat anybody. But I also feel like that's where we are. I feel like describing Texas State is almost like describing ourselves. On our day, we're as good as anybody in the league, but we have to make sure those days happen more often."
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 Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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