Little Rock Heads to UCA Thursday for First Showdown of the Season

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The first Governor's I-40 Showdown presented by Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield of the 2022-23 academic year will take place this Thursday, as the Trojan soccer team will take on Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. at the Bill Stephens Complex in Conway.
 
Head coach Kelly Farrell will lead her young team against an equally young team in Thursday's match, which can be seen live on ESPN+.
 
Matchup History
 
Little Rock leads, 7-5-2 | Last Game: Central Arkansas won, 2-0, on 8/29/2021 in Little Rock, Ark. | Streak: Loss 3
 
Three Things to Know:

1. First of Many and First for Many
Thursday's game between Little Rock and Central Arkansas will be the first Governor's I-40 Showdown of the 2022-23 academic year, and the first for many of the players participating. If you were to combine the rosters of Central Arkansas and Little Rock nearly half would be freshmen, 21 out of 50. Central Arkansas is carrying 11 freshmen on their roster while Little Rock has 10 of their own.
2. What's Inside the Trojan Horse?
 With so many newcomers on this young Trojan team, there is still some searching for a team identity. An experienced back line could make for a strong defense with anchor Natalee Geren leading the defensive effort. On the other hand, a few dangerous newcomers could allow the Trojans to be more offensively minded than the program has been in the past. Namely, freshmen Amaya Arias and Bronte Peel have shown early flashes of offensive creativity for Little Rock.
3. The Conway Conundrum
You would need to go back to 2010 to find the last time that Little Rock Soccer defeated Central Arkansas while facing the Bears on their own pitch. Since that 3-0 Little Rock win on Sept. 1, 2010, the Trojans have gone winless in four attempts in Conway and 3-5-2 overall against the Bears. This includes a winless streak of five matches with three losses and two ties.
 
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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