LITTLE ROCK - The last time the Trojans set foot in Foley, Alabama, the team came away with their first-ever Sun Belt Championship. This year, Little Rock (3-5-2, 3-3-2 Sun Belt) returns with a younger group, but one with similar aspirations. The Trojans, the fourth seed in the West division of the conference, will play Monday, Nov. 2 at 1:30 p.m. in the First Round of the tournament against Georgia Southern (3-9-1, 3-6-1 Sun Belt), the fifth seed in the East division.
Fans are welcome to attend the tournament, but must wear face coverings at all times, practice social distancing within the complex, and may not interact with teams before or after games.
Coach's Preview
Like every game this year, throughout a season truly like no other, the Trojans will be taking the Sun Belt Conference tournament one step at a time.
"To be honest, I think right now, the best thing for us is to focus on us and be the best version of ourselves on Monday," said head coach Mark Foster. "Tournament games are usually tight and nervy games, and they're usually very close. I know we're a young team but the upperclassmen have been here before and won, so hopefully that bit of experience will be enough to get us through the game. We're playing first on Monday and I love the early game. It means we're not sitting around all day getting nervous and we get to go through our normal routine and warmups."
Despite playing half as many games as last year, Little Rock enters the Sun Belt Championship week with more wins under their belt than the previous year, with an even .500 record in conference play.
"We're on a good run right now," added Coach Foster. "We've only lost one game in five, and I think the ladies have had a good attitude and have appreciated getting to play this year. I think our heads are in as good a place as they could be right now. We'd love for tomorrow to be a really exciting game with lots of goals for us, as well as a win that gets us to the next round."
A Glance at the Matchup
Monday will be Little Rock's first opportunity to play a team from the East division of the Sun Belt, as the Trojans have only faced the four teams in their West division due to the modified travel format this season.
If Little Rock's offense can turn up the heat, they can take advantage of a Georgia Southern team that has allowed twice as many goals as the Trojans have during conference play. The Eagles also have only collected one clean sheet throughout the season, which means that if the Trojans are on point and can piece together several chances, they are likely to hit net tomorrow.
The Eagles also do not take as many shots per game as the Trojans, averaging 7.70 per game to Little Rock's 11.88, but Georgia Southern has still tallied eight goals in conference play, meaning they make their attempts count. However, Little Rock boasts one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt, with the second-best goals allowed average, meaning that the Trojan back line will be difficult to break.
Little Rock will look to shut down the Eagles early and advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament, which will take place Wednesday, Nov. 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 Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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