NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Central Arkansas women's soccer team closed out its season with a 2-0 loss to the No. 3 seed Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday. Despite having opportunities, the Bears couldn't convert and bowed out of the Atlantic Sun Championships in the semifinals.
 
The loss closes the door on a 8-7-5 record, and marks the first loss for the Bears in a month. Thursday's result was also the first match in which Central Arkansas allowed two goals since early September, breaking a streak of 11 matches.
 
Central Arkansas came flying out of the gates, moving the ball quickly up the field for a Megan Moudy shot in the third minute. Though the attempt was off target, it was a small insight into the next 20 minutes. The Bears continued to zip the ball around, using the speed of Anna Kerr and Trace Pavatt to attack mismatches and cross the ball in. The duo had a pair of shots in the 15^th minute, with Kerr's getting blocked and Pavatt's slipping off target, and the momentum was all Central Arkansas.
 
Possession continued to favor the Bears up to and past the 20-minute mark, resulting in several more shots for the No. 2 seeded Bears. Sydney Brough and Kerr combined for a pair after Brough's was blocked by the keeper, and Kerr punched it just to the right of the post.
 
FGCU finally corralled possession and countered, moving the ball up the pitch and finding its first goal of the night. Allyson Kamper came in as a 30^th-minute substitute, and nearly made an immediate impact, putting a shot up toward the upper right corner that the Eagle keeper got just enough of to keep out. The 1-0 score would hold until halftime, with the Bears missing just a final touch on a number of occasions.
 
The Eagles got right back to work in the second half, but the Bear defense did its best to bend without breaking. But the opportunities to counter and equalize were far and few between for a good portion of the second half. Kajsa Pruner was marvelous given the volume of shots that were thrown her way, tying a season-high with nine saves on the night. But eventually, the Eagles knocked one more goal in, stretching the lead to two with just under 15 minutes left in the match.
 
Determined to fight to the final whistle, the Bears set off to make one final push, desperate to close the gap and give themselves a chance late. But that opportunity never came, with the Bears taking just one shot down the stretch. Despite the final score, the Bears were valiant in their efforts, fighting tooth and nail to keep their season alive. Brough and Emily Wissel-Littmann were named to the All-Tournament Team, having both played extremely hard for 90 minutes and giving Central Arkansas every opportunity to stay in it.