CONWAY, Ark. – On a humid but tolerable night after the first day of school, the Central Arkansas women's soccer team notched its first win of the season in commanding fashion, taking down Little Rock by way of a 3-1 final score. Three Bears scored on a night that marked head coach Jeremy Bishop's 100^th win with the program.
 
"It makes you think of the past players, all the ones that helped you get here," Bishop said of the milestone. "It's fun to look back and think of all the players that worked so hard to help me reach this milestone, so it's pretty cool."
 
The Bears were the clear aggressors early on, playing the through ball and threatening early, oftentimes coming just a touch away from a clear shot attempt. Taylor Lassiter finally got the scoring started in the 25^th minute, netting the first goal of the season for the Bears after a perfectly laid pass from Anna Kerr. It marked Lassiter's second-career goal, as the senior became responsible for the team's first lead in its first home game of her final season.
 
Little Rock leapt on a counter just a couple of minutes later, almost evening the score with a shot from just outside the box, but Keyla Perez was there to settle it down safely. Little Rock would outshoot the Bears 8-3 in the first half, but Central Arkansas was the team that found the one that counted in the first 45 minutes.
 
Momentum started to shift in the early going of the second half, as the Trojans made some adjustments at the break. Fighting tooth and nail to maintain the lead, the Bears held ground for 20 minutes before finally succumbing to an equalizer in the 67^th minute.
 
The tie wouldn't stick for long, however, as freshman Tristyn Pavatt blitzed through the defense and slammed home the first goal of her career, reclaiming the lead for the Bears. With all the momentum in its favor, Central Arkansas continued to apply pressure to the Trojan defense, hitting through ball after through ball to runners up top.
 
Eventually, the persistence paid off, as Lea Duus Madsen found a sprinting Kelly Van Gundy, who put the final nail in the coffin with a goal in the 82^nd minute. It marked the second-straight year that Van Gundy has scored against the Trojans.
 
With the lead firmly in hand, Central Arkansas posted up in an attacking corner, keeping possession firmly in the safety of the attacking third as the Bears drained the clock and the chance at a comeback by the Trojans.
 
Emotions poured out like the Powerade bath that Bishop received as the final buzzer sounded as the team rushed to congratulate their head coach.
 
The Bears go back on the road for the next match, road tripping to Tulsa to take on Oral Roberts on Sunday.