LITTLE ROCK - In a last minute change in the schedule, the Little Rock soccer team will welcome the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (5-3, 2-2 Sun Belt) to the Coleman Sports Complex this Friday night at 7:00 p.m. for their third Sun Belt game of the season. The original contest, which was scheduled to take place in Lafayette, was changed due to concerns regarding the impending hurricane in the Gulf that threatened the original contest. Sunday's match is currently still set for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at ULM (0-5, 0-4 Sun Belt).
This Friday, fans are welcome to come cheer on Little Rock in person as long as attendees are abiding by social distancing guidelines, detailed here.
Coach's Preview
The Trojans, now having completed their nonconference schedule, have just six games remaining in the regular season. After tomorrow night, Little Rock will be halfway through the 2020 slate already.
Head coach Mark Foster is optimistic about where the Trojans currently sit. "We're not as beat up and bruised as normal because we haven't played as many games so mentally and physically there's a freshness about us that there normally wouldn't be at this point. Hopefully that bodes well for the second half of the season, and most importantly, so we're set up to peak at the conference tournament."
In this year's shortened season, and one with several unprecedented changes, Coach Foster is also welcoming the adjustment in venue for Friday night. "In a conference as tight as ours, any time you get to play at home, that can be the difference a lot of times. We're excited to get another day of preparation and be able to relax a little bit and train instead of spending a day on the bus. Louisiana is a good team and it's going to be a tight game but I think this could give us a massive advantage."
Little Rock is looking forward to returning to Sun Belt play as well, aiming to bounce back after a frustrating loss against UCA on Sunday. If the team is able to regroup and play together as a single unit like they did in both of their two previous conference matches, the future is bright for the Trojans.
"Coach Audra Larson and I have been very intentional this year in saying we're one of the luckiest teams in the country by getting to play," added Coach Foster. "We're disappointed with how we played Sunday, but it's similar to how when you're a kid and you fall off a bike, you have to get up and go again. The weather's been lovely and we've had a couple great training sessions so we're going to take advantage of that. We have to move forward and look forward to this weekend."
A Glance at the Matchup
On Friday night, Little Rock will be looking to put an end to Louisiana's 3-game win streak. The Ragin' Cajuns recently have taken down ULM, Louisiana Tech and Texas State all in a row. However, their first two conference games did not go as smoothly, as Louisiana fell to both Texas State and Arkansas State, making their Sun Belt record even at 2-2. Little Rock has not lost against Louisiana since 2014, so the Trojans will seek to take advantage of the change in venue for another exciting matchup for #LittleRocksTeam.
ULM is currently winless in Sun Belt play despite notching a single goal against Texas State, and the Trojans will look to put together a similar performance to last year's 4-0 shutout victory, where Morgan Smocovich, Abril Lucio, and Astros Luckas all netted goals. The away game will be a good opportunity for Little Rock to gain confidence both on the road and as an offensive unit against a team that has allowed 17 goals so far this season.
While having a young team in a shortened season means that anyone could potentially have a breakout game, right now those to watch at the top include Smocovich, a senior that has stepped up to lead to attack this season, as well as junior Lucio and sophomore Mari Young. Lucio has attempted several close calls, while Young leads the team in shots on goal, as both are eager for one to hit the back of the net. In the back line, senior Bergros Asgeirsdottir and sophomore Julia Edholm have played every minute while also moving upfield to create chances as well.
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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