LITTLE ROCK - The Little Rock soccer team will set foot on the field of the Coleman Sports Complex this Friday night at 7:00 p.m. for their first home action since October of last year. After a few hiccups in the schedule, the Trojans are ready to return to action, welcoming Texas State to the Natural State for not only the Little Rock home opener but also their first Sun Belt conference match of the 2020 season.
Fans are welcome to come cheer on Little Rock in person, barring social distancing guidelines that are detailed here.
Coach's Preview
The Trojans are back on track after a delayed start to conference play, with their home opener pushed back a week. Despite briefly pressing pause, Little Rock is not alone nor too far behind. Three other Sun Belt teams also have yet to play an official conference game (Georgia Southern, South Alabama and Troy) while another three teams also have only played in one match this season (Coastal Carolina, ULM and Troy).
"We're happy to get back on the field," said head coach Mark Foster. "Some of our girls got a taste of playing at UCA and are eager to get back out there. They've all been working really hard in small groups and deserve it. Of course we would want to have more practice and more games but coach Audra Larson and I are delighted with the girls' attitude, considering everything. With the changes to our schedule, we're not as perturbed as we would be in a normal situation because we know this is not a normal situation."
Though tomorrow's match may see a few players earn minutes for the first time this season, look for a few Trojans that set themselves up well two weeks ago in Little Rock's first match at Central Arkansas: freshman goalkeeper Saskia Wagner, who grabbed nine saves, the most by any Trojan since August 2018, Mari Young, a sophomore forward that placed both of her shots on goal, and the trio of Bergros Asgeirsdottir, Peyton Laughley and Morgan Smocovich, all seniors that played all 90 minutes.
A Glance at the Matchup
Friday will be Texas State's seventh game of the season as well as the Bobcats' second conference game. Texas State only just picked up their first win of the season this past week of play, defeating Louisiana in a 3-2 comeback win. Little Rock will be looking to take down the Bobcats for the first time during the regular season in the short series history, which began in 2013 and has seen double overtime ties in the past two years in conference play, including a win in PKs at the 2018 Sun Belt Championship. This may be the year to beat the Bobcats that if the Trojans can step up their offensive game, as Texas State has already allowed 11 goals in six matches.
"Traditionally Texas State is one of the best teams in the league," said Coach Foster. "We're excited to be able to play a team like that at home, but overall, we're glad that the teams we get to play this season understand the setbacks and are able to adapt and still be competitive."
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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