Late Goal Salvages Result for Trojans

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – For the second straight match forward Bronte Peel netted a game-tying goal in the second half which would eventually lead to a Little Rock draw. This time the score came against Eastern Illinois in the 74^th minute as the game would finish 1-1 at the Coleman Sports Complex on Sunday.
 
Neither team could get much going in the first half as the two teams combined for just seven shots, only two of which were on net. The Panthers would take advantage of a Little Rock miscue as an attempted clear with funky spin took a bizarre bounce and ended up in the back of the Trojan net. The own goal in the 30^th minute put Eastern Illinois ahead 1-0 and this is how things would remain until the second half.
 
Little Rock made its adjustments and played with ferocity after the intermission. The Trojans would take 12 shots in the 45-minute span and limit the Panthers to just three. Peel scored the equalizer in the 74^th minute of play with an assist from Serenity Thake, a hard shot that rolled past an outstretched EIU keeper and into the back right corner.
 
The Trojans held possession for a staggering 60% of the match, much of which was spent coordinating attacks against the Panther defense in the offensive zone. Several great opportunities presented themselves but scoring attempts were thwarted again and again by Eastern Illinois defenders, mainly in the form of blocked shots inside of the box.
 
Perhaps the closest that Little Rock came to acquiring the lead was off a set piece in the 83^rd minute. After a corner kick sent the ball in front of the net, Peel would fire a shot from about seven yards out which would ricochet off a Panther defender and straight to freshman Amaya Arias. The Downey, California native then sent her own shot toward the but it was nabbed by the Panthers goalkeeper.
 
"I thought we got a little bit unlucky today," Head Coach Kelly Farrell said. "Unfortunately, the ball doesn't always bounce your way but I'm proud of our response to come back from down a goal. We made the game difficult for Eastern Illinois in the second half, but we need to match that urgency and intensity throughout the game. We also must be more clinical and cutthroat in front of goal and put games out of reach when we have the opportunity."
 
The Trojans will be back in action next Sunday when they host Tennessee Tech in the regular season finale. There's a lot that remains on the line with several teams still jockeying for a hosting spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Little Rock is tied with SEMO for fifth in the OVC standings and both trail Lindenwood by just one point.
 
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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