SAN MARCOS, Texas – Although Little Rock soccer (2-5-1, 2-3-1 Sun Belt) led by one going into the second half at Texas State (3-8-1, 3-4-0 Sun Belt), an equalizer and a goal off a penalty kick with less than two minutes to go left the Trojans with minimal time for a rebuttal as the Bobcats finished ahead 2-1.
The Trojans got on the board first after
Astros Luckas made a smooth touch back to
Doro Greulich late in the first half. After a tussle with a Bobcat defender, the redshirt senior sent a rocket toward the goal from about 30 yards out, sailing above the goalkeeper's head and into the net.
"Part of our game plan today was to be more aggressive in the upper third and get shots off," said head coach
Mark Foster. "Doro has put in the work every day, so it was great to see her do it in the game, and Astros did a good job setting her up."
However, the Bobcats responded in the 76th minute, fighting through the middle of the back line before knocking one in from just left of the goal and into the opposite corner. With Little Rock spread out further than usual, Texas State took advantage of their struggle to regain their shape.
After the equalizing goal, the Trojans turned up the pressure upfield, controlling possession to make five attempts within 10 minutes, with several sailing just outside the posts. For at least the third match this season, the crossbar was not in favor of Little Rock, as Greulich hit the top woodwork with five minutes to go in regulation.
With approximately two minutes to go in the game, the Bobcats drew a foul inside the box, allowing a penalty kick. The low right shot slipped past goalkeeper
Saskia Wagner's fingertips to hit net, and the Trojans didn't have enough time to piece together an opportunity to equalize.
"We're a little bit down but it is what it is," remarked Coach Foster. "Sports will do that to you and that's part of life. We just have to keep our heads up and realize that for large parts of today's game we played really well and created some good offense."
"As coaches, we have to remind the girls to think about the performance overall," he added. "It's easy to react well when things go our way. Moments like these are when we have to be mature, look forward instead of looking back, and enjoy the last few games of the season."
The Trojans play one more road game this upcoming Thursday at Louisiana before returning home the following week to celebrate senior day on Thursday, October 29th at 5:00 p.m.
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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