LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – On a rainy Sunday afternoon at the Coleman Sports Complex, Little Rock women's soccer battled through the elements and a gritty Lindenwood squad to earn a 1-1 draw, securing second place in the Ohio Valley Conference for the second straight season and capping off an unbeaten run through league play.
Little Rock closed out the regular season with a 7-3-6 overall record and a 5-0-4 mark in conference play. The Trojans' 19 points are their most in OVC competition since joining the league in 2022, just two points shy of first place.
The team also set a new program record for the longest unbeaten streak in the regular season at 10 matches (wins and draws), surpassing the previous record of nine set by the 2014 team. In addition, Little Rock extended its home unbeaten streak to 13 matches, another program best stretching back to last season.
Path to the Postseason
With the No. 2 seed secured, the Trojans earned a two-match bye and will head to Cookeville, Tennessee, for the semifinals of the OVC Championship. Tennessee Tech, the top seed, will host the final three matches of the tournament.
The winner between No. 7 SIUE and No. 6 UT Martin will face No. 3 Lindenwood in the quarterfinals. The winner of that matchup will advance to play Little Rock in the semifinals.
Game Recap
Rain showers and slick turf made for challenging conditions at the Coleman Sports Complex, setting the tone for a physical, high-stakes matchup between two teams battling near the top of the standings.
The opening 15 minutes saw both sides struggle to maintain possession as the wet surface slowed the ball and disrupted passing rhythm. In the 11th minute, sophomore forward
Maggie Turner led a counterattack off a Lindenwood corner and nearly converted, but her shot was stopped by the Lions' goalkeeper. Lindenwood answered with a pair of shots soon after, but senior goalkeeper
Peyton Urban kept the match scoreless with key saves.
The first half featured plenty of physical play, with both teams trading fouls in the midfield. Little Rock's best chance before halftime came in the 29th minute when
Maria Schuller's header was denied, sending the teams into the break tied 0-0.
Little Rock came out strong in the second half, dominating possession and pushing relentlessly for the opening goal. The Trojans generated several quality chances, including a stretch of four consecutive corner kicks that came inches from finding the back of the net. Freshman defender
Clair Silvestro nearly curled a wide cross inside the post, but the Lions' keeper made another save to keep it even.
In the 85th minute, Little Rock's pressure finally paid off. A driven cross from Silvestro caused chaos in front of goal and was tapped in by senior midfielder
Amaya Arias past the keeper, giving the Trojans a 1-0 lead.
Lindenwood responded quickly, finding the equalizer on a long shot from outside the box that slipped through traffic and into the net. Despite continued pressure from the Trojans, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Post-game Reaction
Head coach
Kelly Farrell expressed pride in her team's performance and consistency throughout the regular season, while noting the lessons learned from Sunday's match.
"I thought we did enough in the game to get a win, so I'm disappointed in the tie," Farrell said. "I think it's a good lesson for the team to make sure we are switched on for all 90 minutes. In spite of the result, I'm really proud of what the team has done during the regular season, undefeated in conference, undefeated at home, and on a 10-game unbeaten streak. We'll use the next week to regroup and make sure we're putting our best foot forward for when it really counts during the postseason. The team will be prepared to bring an OVC Tournament Championship back to Little Rock."
By the Numbers in the OVC
- Top Shots: Schuller (2nd, 32) and Arias (6th, 25) both finished among the OVC's top 10 in total shots.
- Top Scorers: Schuller ranked second in goals (6), Turner tied for eighth (3), and junior midfielder Candice Kilderry tied for 10th (2).
- Assists: Arias (3) and Megan Rogan (2) also ranked among the top 10 in assists.
- Goalkeeping: Urban finished second in the conference with 41 saves and recorded two shutouts in league play.
Up Next
The OVC Women's Soccer Championship begins Thursday, Oct. 30, with the opening-round matchups between seeds 5–8. Little Rock will have a double bye and return to action in Cookeville, Tennessee, on Thursday, Nov. 6, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. CT.
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.
Get the latest Trojan news, including the weekly Trojan Report, delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for Little Rock Trojan E-News
here.
#LittleRocksTeam | #RockSolid
