Smocovich
Benjamin Krain

Soccer Kaylie Noll | LRTrojans.com

Little Rock Soccer 2020: Meet the Midfielders

LITTLE ROCK - The midfielders are the next piece to the Trojan puzzle, with this season’s group looking quite similar to last year. The familiarity of the upperclassmen should help the squad tremendously in terms of experience, while a handful of newcomers will aid with depth and range as #LittleRocksTeam prepares for its 2020 slate.

“I think we have a very balanced midfield that will give us a lot of defensive protection,” said head coach Mark Foster. “We also have a lot of the attacking quality going forward. The fight for places is going to be really competitive and it will be a really tough job for us to pick the starting team this year, but that's how we like it.”

Morgan Smocovich kick
Senior midfielder Morgan Smocovich

Senior Morgan Smocovich is at the forefront of the midfielders after a breakout junior season. She started in every game, led the team with six assists, tallied the second-most points on the team, and accumulated a personal high 1,790 minutes on the year, the second-most on the team. Smocovich should continue to be a central piece for Little Rock in her final year.

Junior trio Fanney Einarsdottir, Abril Lucio and Astros Luckas (pictured in the slideshow below, in that order) also bring upperclassmen experience to the pitch. Einarsdottir started every game last year, also shining in her freshman season by garnering a First Team All-Sun Belt selection in the renowned 2018 campaign and a Preseason All-Sun Belt Team accolade in 2019. Lucio and Luckas both saw a massive increase in playing time last fall, both appearing in every game. In addition, Lucio was able to notch her first career goal. Meanwhile, Luckas, who often plays up with the attack, earned the third-most points on the team.

Fanney Einarsdottir
Abril Lucio
Astros Luckas

Smocovich is ready for action with her rock-solid group of returners. “I’m definitely going to go into every game like it’s my last and just enjoy every moment,” said the senior. “We know all our strengths and weaknesses and will be able to show how we understand each other on the field this season. We can all shoot from distance, play penetrating through balls, and are able to control play through the midfield.”

The rest of the midfielders are a large group that have yet to touch the pitch, led by redshirt freshman Aislyn Sullivan. The newcomers include four freshmen; read about Vanessa Eklund, Kaitlyn Morales and Addison Yinger here, and learn about Mariella Stephens here.

In case you missed it, meet the back line here and mark your calendar for Little Rock's return to the field on Thursday, September 10 at Central Arkansas, with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. Also be sure to show up to the first Little Rock Trojans home game of the season on Friday, September 18 at the Coleman Sports Complex, beginning at 7:00 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 FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

#LittleRocksTeam