FOLEY, Ala. – Little Rock soccer (4-5-3, 3-3-2 Sun Belt) put on a gutsy performance this afternoon in the quarterfinals of Sun Belt Tournament, pushing first seed South Alabama (8-3-1. 8-2 Sun Belt) to double overtime with a 2-2 tie before falling in penalty kicks, 4-3.
"We challenged the team to get Little Rock back on the map where we belong and I'm more than proud of them," said head coach
Mark Foster. "Going against South Alabama, who has won six championships in the last seven years, that was probably one of the toughest games they've had in that period, so we can really hold our heads high."
The Jaguars were the first ones on the board in the 17th minute, moving wide upfield before forcing their way to center of the box and putting one in from right in front.
However, the Trojans quickly responded, as less than 40 seconds later,
Morgan Smocovich let one fly from just past midfield up to
Mariella Stephens. The freshman chipped it into the top center of the net so fast that the Jaguar goalkeeper had no time to react. The goal was the third of her young career, with all three collected during the championship week.
"It shows that we've got a bright future," said Coach Foster. "Mariella's an amazing young lady and since we've got a young team, it'll continue to grow, and I'm excited to see that."
Unfortunately, three minutes later, South Alabama pulled ahead again off of a corner kick. There was a mad scramble inside the box before the ball was hit just inside of the left post.
Little Rock made great use of their subs in the second half to keep the Jaguars away from the Trojan goal. With just three minutes to go, Little Rock was awarded a free kick just past the center circle, and once again, Smocovich used her leg to boot it upfield.
Julia Edholm directed the ball toward the goal off her head, and
Doro Greulich used her entire body to push it forward and bounce off
Astros Luckas's leg for the equalizer.
"With about 15 minutes to go, we seemed to get a second wind. The ladies really dug in and found a way so with the way we were playing, I knew the equalizer was going to come. The amount of players we had in the box fighting showed how much energy and life we had, and I think the goal was rightly deserved. Over 90 minutes, a draw was the least we deserved, actually."
In both overtime sessions, Little Rock easily looked to be the team on top, energized by the late goal. Despite several chances, the Trojans couldn't manage to get another one in, sending the game to a penalty shootout.
Natalee Geren was unlucky to hit the top crossbar, but Smocovich,
Abril Lucio, and
Maddy Peake all stepped up to earn three successful penalty kicks in a row. Luckas rounded out the group, but her attempt was stopped by the Jaguar goalkeeper. One South Alabama player missed her shot, but the other four made theirs to advance to the semifinals.
"It was a great soccer performance, and when it goes to penalties, anything can happen," said Coach Foster. "It was a heartbreaker, and sometimes they go for you and sometimes they go against you, but that's life. I know this group will react well and be better for it and stronger when we get back next year."
Four seniors take a bow after today:
Bergros Asgeirsdottir,
Doro Greulich,
Peyton Laughley and
Morgan Smocovich, all part of the team that won the program's first-ever Sun Belt Championship and gave Little Rock its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2018. Greulich ends her time as a Trojan tied for eighth in school history for career goals scored, netting 21. She also sits fifth in the rankings for career assists with 13. In addition, Smocovich hangs up her cleats ranking third for career assists, tallying 15 within her four years.
"This season's been stressful, and the seniors have been great leaders and performers," added Coach Foster. "All four of them played really well today, so I'm extremely proud that they left everything on the field. They can walk away from this program with their head high, knowing that they won a championship two years ago, and knowing that they left the team in a better place."
For the latest information on Little Rock Soccer, make sure to check out
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