LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Down two goals, Little Rock roared back with three unanswered to stun Central Arkansas in the Governor's I-40 Showdown. It was the Trojans' second straight win over UCA.
It was a great night for some soccer, and the match between two in-state rivals did not disappoint in the Trojans' home opener. UCA controlled the ball early, pressing into Little Rock's defensive half for the first 20 minutes before striking first. The Sugar Bears doubled their lead in the 39th minute.
But what seemed daunting to the fans did not shake the Trojans, as the team immediately responded with a quick counter followed up by an unassisted goal from sophomore
Maria Schuller just before halftime.
In the second half, Little Rock came out hot and ready to fight; they looked hungrier and pounced on every ball that went their way. It came to full fruition when senior
Amaya Arias scored with the assist from Schuller eight minutes into the second half. With UCA on their heels, the Trojans knew they had to push harder if they wanted that winning goal, but the Sugar Bears would not give up easily.
After Little Rock's second goal, three yellow cards were issued in an 18-minute span, along with multiple fouls. The Trojans capitalized on this turmoil with Arias, assisted by junior
Candice Kilderry, scoring the third and deciding goal in the 69th minute. Later, a UCA player received a second yellow card in the 81st minute, resulting in a red card and ejection.
After the Trojans' third goal and the red card, UCA tried to claw their way back in, but freshmen defenders
Emily Nahon and
Mary Ratcliff controlled the back line until the final whistle.
Head coach
Kelly Farrell was proud of the way her team responded to adversity and was able to overcome it.
"I thought the response was huge. It definitely wasn't our best first half going down 2-0, but I think it says a lot about the character of the group scoring three goals when you're down and not necessarily playing your best. I'm super proud of the mentality and getting a win against a rival is always awesome. I can't be more proud of the group and their response today," said Farrell.
Trojan standouts included goalscorers Arias with two goals (four for the season) and Schuller with one goal (three for the season). Senior
Emma Beattie, sophomore
Kaylee Cuff, and junior
Hannah Schneider also provided strong performances off the bench.
The Trojans have three days off, then are back at home on Thursday, Sept. 4, to host Southeastern Louisiana.
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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