Trojans Drop Exhibition Match at Austin Peay

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The anticipation for the start of the 2022 season only grew over time for Little Rock Sunday as inclement weather pushed the start of the team's first of two exhibition matches back by nearly two hours. Finally hitting the pitch with a new roster and new coaching staff, Little Rock would drop its exhibition opener but set up the framework for further growth as preseason training continues Monday.
 
Sunday's exhibition contest, in which Little Rock would drop with a 2-0 decision, was set with three 30-minute periods allowing the new coaching staffs on both sides to provide plenty of opportunities for competition and evaluation.
 
"It was good to get out there and compete first and foremost," said Kelly Farrell, the new head coach of the Trojans. "I thought we grew into the game through the periods. We had some good moments, and I thought the game gave us a good framework of what we need to build on moving forward this week."
 
Little Rock would put seven shots up in the match with two on goal, while Austin Peay put six shots on goal resulting in a combined four saves between Paige Henry and Peyton Urban. The Govs would finally get a shot past Henry, who played the first two periods, as Clara Heistermann scored in the 25^th minute. Olivia Prock would push the ball into the goal in the 33^rd minute.
 
Several new players saw action for Little Rock's Team with six newcomers seeing action in 80 or more minutes in the game. Amaya Arias, one of those newcomers, played all 90 minutes and registered a shot on goal.
 
The Trojans, who were not called for an offsides in the game, also stayed truer to the rules than the host Govs. Little Rock was whistled only four times for fouls while Austin Peay was whistled eight times, including for an issuance of a Yellow Card.
 
Little Rock has one more exhibition match scheduled before the season officially gets underway. The Trojans will play at Northwestern State on Saturday, Aug. 13 in Natchitoches, Louisiana before the season opener at Memphis on Aug. 18.
 
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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