Nacogdoches, Texas – The Central Arkansas Bears opened their crucial four-game conference road trip with a 2-0 win over the Stephen F. Austin Lady Jacks in Nacogdoches, Texas on Friday night. The win improved the Bears to a 9-3-1 record and an impressive 4-1 SLC mark, trailing only Houston Baptist for first in conference. A Ladyjack own goal in the first half and a knockout punch goal by Connie Awuku-Darkoh in the 83^rd minute solidified the Bears win. It was Awuku-Darkoh's eighth goal on the year, a Central Arkansas team high. The Bears have held their opponents to seven shutouts in 12 games on the year.
 
"I'm proud of the group for sticking together and doing enough to get the result tonight," said UCA head coach Jeremy Bishop. "It wasn't our best, but when you can go out and get a shut out win that's definitely a good thing. Now we need to recover physically and be ready for a really good McNeese team on Sunday."
 
The first half was relatively quiet as there were 12 shots combined but only three on goal. The first real pressure from the Ladyjacks came when Katie Jennings landed the first shot on goal in the 27^th minute, but Lauren Mercuri made the save. Things got interesting just two minutes later as Kristen Ricks sent a rocket of a cross in from the left side and found Camille Bassett in the box. Bassett's shot was blocked but the ball played off an SFA defender and it rolled into the right side of goal to award the Bears the 1-0 lead. The Bears threatened again just five minutes later as Bassett went off to the races on the right side of the field and sent a lead pass that went toward an open Awuku-Darkoh but goalkeeper Madeline Talbot read the play right and got to the ball before Awuku-Darkoh could finish it. After a few Ladyjacks shots that were blocked, the half ended with the Bears leading 1-0.
 
The story of the second half was corners. Stephen F. Austin had six in the second half but could not convert on any of them. In the 65^th minute, a Ladyjacks corner almost gave trouble to the Bears as the ball landed in front of goal but the defense cleared it out to safety. The Ladyjacks missed out on two more corners at the 74^th and 76^th minute as the first saw Katelyn Termini sail a shot high and Mercuri cleared out the second for a free kick on the right side that led to her second save of the night. The Bears put the game away in the 83^rd minute when Awuku-Darkoh had the ball on the left side near the box and found the bottom right corner of the goal to give her team the 2-0 lead. The Ladyjacks tried to avoid the shutout as they had a clean look in the closing seconds, but Carli Arthurs could not get past Mercuri and the game ended.
 
The Bears will enjoy one quick day of rest before returning to conference action on October 7 as they will face the McNeese Cowgirls in Lake Charles, Louisiana at 1 P.M