Thake Finds the Net in the 89th Minute to Beat UCA

Conway, Ark. – In a thrilling conclusion to the Governor's I-40 Showdown, Little Rock secured a 2-0 victory over UCA with a dramatic late-game surge. Serenity Thake's game-winning goal in the 89th minute, followed by an insurance goal from Abbie Smith in the 90th minute, ensured the Trojans left with the win. Goalkeeper Peyton Urban also played a pivotal role, recording her second clean sheet of the season.

How It Happened

The first half saw a tight contest, ending in a 0-0 stalemate. Little Rock demonstrated their offensive prowess with 4 shots, 3 corners, and maintained a clean slate in terms of fouls. Defensively, the Trojans kept UCA to just 3 shots, effectively controlling the game's tempo and spending most of the half in the attacking third.

The second half mirrored the first in terms of intensity until Serenity Thake made her mark. In the 89th minute, Thake netted her first goal of the season, a decisive one at that. The play began with Kaitlin Graeber's clean touch to Candice Kilderry, who then delivered the ball to Thake. With a first-touch shot, Thake found the back of the net, placing the ball to the far side of the goal and out of reach of the UCA goalkeeper.

"It's nice to be the one who put it in the back of the net, but it wouldn't have happened without the team's effort tonight. I'm so proud of the way this team fights until the very end," said Serenity Thake after recording her first game-winning goal.

After Thake broke the game open, senior captain Abbie Smith added an insurance goal off a well-placed pass from Jaeda Centeno. The two seniors connected to put the Trojans up by 2 with less than a minute remaining.

Key Players

• Serenity Thake and Abbie Smith register their first goals of the season
• Candice Kilderry, Kaitlin Graeber, and Jaeda Centeno set up the goals with well-placed passes
• Peyton Urban records her 2nd clean sheet of the year
• The Trojans' defensive back line holds strong again, with Mykena Turner, Sherry Saad, and Kaitlin Graeber clocking 90 minutes

Up Next

Little Rock will take the weekend off after a huge win and returns to action on Thursday, September 12th, against Pine Bluff.

For the latest information on Little Rock Soccer, check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockSOC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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