Conway – The Central Arkansas women's soccer team closed out the home portion of their 2017 schedule on Sunday afternoon, hosting the Houston Baptist Huskies at the Bill Stephens Complex. The Bears got an early goal from Ashley Smith and an insurance goal from Hadley Dickinson, earning a 2-0 win.

Central Arkansas (8-8-0, 5-3-0 SLC) wasted no time in finding the game's first goal, as Dayna Mounie slid a pass across the box to Smith, who fired to the back post from ten yards out to give the Bears a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute with her fourth goal of the season. Houston Baptist (6-5-2, 5-2-1 SLC) would get a short run of possession that resulted in shots from Sabriah Spencer and Ellee Hall, before the Bears got shots on goal from Autum Schwartz, Dickinson, and Stacia Carroll. HBU would get its best look of the day in the 34^th minute, as Gabby Rodriguez fired past UCA keeper Anna Hughes, but the shot bounced the wrong way off the post and was cleared by the Bears. Dickinson, Jordan Slim, and Maci Schoonover would all get looks for the Bears as the half wound down, but the Bears would head into the break with the lead sitting at 1-0.

"We've been having lots and lots of opportunities, but we haven't been able to get the ball in," said UCA head coach Jeremy Bishop. "That can be frustrating for the team, and you can let it really discourage you, put it didn't. We let it motivate us to keep fighting and stay positive. So to get the first shot in today, was definitely a relief, but I think even if we hadn't we would have just kept fighting."

After a relatively uneventful first 15 minutes in the second half, Central Arkansas would strike again, as Alex Moore caught HBU keeper Alanis Guevara out of position but saw her shot knocked away at the goal line by a Husky defender. The ball would fall to Dickinson, who launched a shot off the cross bar and in, pushing the UCA lead to 2-0 with her third goal of the season in the 64^th minute.

Houston Baptist would turn up the pressure after the second UCA goal, firing off six of its 12 shots after the 64^th minute, but the Central Arkansas defense responded well, limiting HBU to just one shot on goal.

"Our back line and the midfield effort was as good today as its been," said Bishop of the Central Arkansas defensive effort. We've been able to limit our opponents to not very many scoring chances, really all season, but today we took it to another level. HBU is a good attacking team, with the speed they have on the wings and the target that they have up front, so to be able to keep them from getting anything going was a real testament to the girls and the work they put in defensively."

The Bears close out the 2017 regular season with a trio of matches on the road. Central Arkansas will travel to Thiboudaux, Louisiana to take on Nicholls at 4:00 PM on Friday, before heading to Hammond, Louisiana for a 1:00 PM matchup at Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday. UCA will then finish off the year at Northwestern State at 7:00 PM on Friday, October, 27^th.

"If you look at the stats or the standings, you think 'Okay, they're at the bottom,'" said Bishop of the Bears' remaining opponents. "But everything has been so tight in the league, and especially going on the road and going that far, we'll have to be focused and ready for each of them, because they all bring their own challenges. I feel like, hopefully, today was a breakthrough for us. We haven't been getting validation for the hard work and the effort we've been putting in, but today we did, so hopefully that'll spring us forward."