Single Goal Nets Second Straight OVC Win for Little Rock

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Little Rock took advantage of a goal in the final minutes for the second straight match as the Trojans claimed a 1-0 at Southern Indiana Sunday afternoon in Evansville.
 
This time the late-game heroics came from the head of freshman Amaya Arias, who scored the second game-winner of her rookie season in the 88^th minute of Sunday's contest, propelling Little Rock (5-4-2, 2-1-0 Ohio Valley) in a battle of OVC newcomers.
 
Arias's strike came after freshman Bronte Peel set up sophomore Abbie Smith, who delivered a cross directly in front of the net where Arias was battling for position. Able to win the skirmish and get free of the defender, Arias gave the Trojans the lead on a diving header that floated over the USI goalkeeper. 
 
Southern Indiana (3-5-2, 0-3-0) was denied a point with just minutes remaining despite registering more shots than Little Rock, with an 8-5 advantage. But only one of those eight Screaming Eagle strikes was on goal, which was promptly saved by Peyton Urban in the 40^th minute.
 
Little Rock overcame a slow start in a defensively controlled game as the two squads combined to put only three total shots on goal. 
 
"It's always tough to win on the road," Head Coach Kelly Farrell said. "I'm proud of the resilience we showed in the second half to get a result. We didn't put our best foot forward in the first half but we were able to get refocused at halftime and came out with a lot of energy, played some good soccer and scored a fantastic goal."
 
The goal by Arias marked her third of the season as she now leads the team in goals scored (3), points (6) and game-winning goals (2) this year. 
 
Little Rock's defense and the goalkeeping tandem of Urban and Paige Henry combined to record the sixth clean sheet of the year for the Trojans, a mark that ties Lindenwood for the league lead.
 
Little Rock will be back in action next Sunday when the Trojans travel to Morehead, Kentucky for a showdown with the Eagles of Morehead State at 1 p.m. ET/Noon CT.
 
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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