LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock cruised to a 3-0 win over Western Illinois on Thursday afternoon, extending its winning streak to three matches and moving into sole possession of second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings.
The Trojans remain unbeaten at home and posted their fourth clean sheet of the season, improving to 6-3-5 overall (4-0-3 OVC). Western Illinois dropped its 16th straight match, falling to 1-16 (0-7 OVC).
With the victory, Little Rock climbed to 15 points in the conference table—now just one point behind first-place Eastern Illinois, which still holds a game in hand. The Trojans' three-match win streak is the longest active run in the league, as they continue to heat up at the right time with just two regular-season matches remaining.
Game Flow
On a hot and sunny afternoon, Little Rock wasted no time setting the tone. From kickoff, the Trojans controlled possession and dictated the pace of play. The back line, anchored by freshman
Emily Nahon and sophomore
Kaylee Cuff, held firm and denied the Leathernecks any early opportunities.
Twelve minutes into the match, senior
Amaya Arias threaded a perfectly timed through ball to sophomore
Maria Schuller, who dribbled around the goalkeeper and calmly finished for her 11th goal of the season.
Just a minute later, with cheers still echoing through the Coleman Sports Complex, junior
Candice Kilderry doubled the lead off an assist from junior
Megan Rogan, marking her fourth goal of the season.
The offensive pressure continued as graduate
Jaeda Centeno forced a deflection in the box, allowing sophomore
Maggie Turner to pounce and slot home the Trojans' third goal of the day.
Senior
Emma Beattie nearly added her first career goal in the first half, but her shot deflected off the post. The Trojans entered halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead.
The second half saw extensive rotation from head coach
Kelly Farrell, with fresh legs maintaining the pressure and possession. The back line continued to stand tall, limiting Western Illinois to minimal chances as Little Rock comfortably saw out the 3-0 victory.
Postgame Reaction
Head coach
Kelly Farrell was pleased with her team's quick start and composure in the heat, noting that they executed exactly as planned.
"I'm proud of the result," Farrell said. "The biggest message going into this game was that we needed to start fast, and being up 3-0 at halftime, we certainly did that. I think we could've been a little more clinical in the final third and scored a few more goals, but at the end of the day, it was a shutout and three important points. I was also able to play a lot of players, which was great."
Freshman defender
Emily Nahon, returning from injury, played 72 minutes and helped anchor the back line in the team's fourth shutout of the year.
"We have a very young back line, it's almost all freshmen, so these games give us great experience and help us keep learning," Nahon said.
Arias recorded her fourth assist of the season, setting a new career high. Beattie provided strong minutes off the bench in the first half, while senior goalkeeper
Peyton Urban continued to impress, leading the defense with her composure and veteran presence.
Up Next
Little Rock hits the road Sunday to face first-place Eastern Illinois. The Trojans then return home the following Sunday, Oct. 26, to close out the regular season at the Coleman Sports Complex, looking to remain unbeaten on their home turf.
For the latest information on Little Rock Soccer, check out LRTrojans.com. You can also follow the team on social media at @LittleRockSOC on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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