Late Scoring Chances Foiled for Little Rock in 1-0 Loss at Northwestern State

NATCHITOCHES, La. – A Northwestern State tackle in the box in the 83^rd minute and an Amaya Arias shot that went wide left in the 89^th minute foiled a pair of late scoring chances as Little Rock dropped a 1-0 decision in an exhibition match Saturday afternoon in Natchitoches.
 
The Lady Demons, last year's Southland Conference Tournament champions and an NCAA Tournament participant, needed only a single goal in the 20^th minute by Natalee Henry to push past the Trojans. Little Rock, playing in its second and final exhibition match of the fall, withstood 17 total shots from NSU but only five were on goal as Paige Henry registered four saves.
 
Little Rock used 20 players throughout the 90 minutes of action as new head coach Kelly Farrell continues to evaluate her team with the season opener just five days away.
 
"I was happy with a lot of aspects of our performance today," Farrell said of her young squad that boasts 10 freshmen and 13 newcomers. "I was happy with several aspects of our performance today. The team has bought into what we've worked on over the last week and a half and we showed improvement especially in our defensive organization. I am encouraged by the mentality and fight we displayed, especially later in the game. I'm looking forward to this short week of training to prepare us for a big test on Thursday."
 
While the scoring chances didn't materialize, the Trojan defense clamped down after the first of three 30-minute periods. Northwestern State registered five shots on goal over the first third of the match, but Little Rock's defense prevented any more shots on target over the final 60 minutes of play.
 
"We played with more intensity and limited our mistakes," Farrell explained of her team's final two-thirds of the match.
 
Offensively, Abbie Smith had a chance in the 83^rd minute with the Trojans down by a goal to net an equalizer but the Lady Demons were able to prevent a shot with a well-placed tackle in the box. Less than six minutes later Arias ripped a shot from the right side less than 15 yards out, but it sailed wide right in Little Rock's final scoring chance of the game.
 
The final offensive push over the last 10 minutes pressured Northwestern State's defensive units but fell just short of the sought-after equalizer.
 
Little Rock now prepares to officially open the 2022 season in just a handful of days. The Trojans will play at No. 22 Memphis on Thursday, Oct. 18 in a match that will be broadcast live on ESPN+ as Farrell makes her (regular season) head coaching debut.
 
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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