CONWAY, Ark. – After celebrating the seven seniors and their accomplishments with the program, the Central Arkansas women's soccer team turned in a 3-2 win over Jacksonville Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Bears officially clinched a postseason berth, the first ASUN team to do so this season.
 
The Bears improved to 7-5-2 overall and 6-0-2 at home, finishing the ASUN season 4-0-1 at home. Kelly Van Gundy scored the first two goals for the Bears, and Kayla Hurley's late add-on ended up being the game-winner.
 
Central Arkansas, who started all of its seniors, got to work right off the kickoff. Eight minutes in, Maria Vanegas side-stepped a defender and let a shot go, powering one toward the left corner. Though the Jacksonville keeper got a glove on it, the early shot was indicative of how the Central Arkansas offense would operate.
 
The Dolphins responded with a shot off the crossbar, but the spin of the ball kept it out of the net and the game scoreless.
 
Van Gundy tallied the first goal of the day in the 33^rd minute. After stopping a Dolphin drive, freshman Ashlyn May took space and drove a ball deep, right into the pathway of Van Gundy. The senior took a couple of dribbles before lifting it up over the keeper and in, giving the Bears the first lead of the game.
 
Defenses controlled the remainder of the first half, with only three total shots after the score. Ava Ronsky, in particular, was all over the place in the first half, dispossessing the Dolphins and moving the ball to safety over and over, dominating her matchup.
 
But as the teams came out of the break, Jacksonville was able to take advantage of some overly physical defending and reclaim the ball just outside the 18-yard box, and the subsequent shot leveled the game in the 49^th.
 
Ten minutes later, Caroline Billings made a run in the box with the ball, tracking down the right side. Getting in front of her defender, the Dolphin player had no choice but to foul, sending the Bears to take a penalty kick. Van Gundy, already with two PK goals this season, stepped up and knocked it in, giving Central Arkansas the lead once more.
 
Jacksonville tried to get back in the game, but Addylan Wright, Emerson Kercher, Adley Barham and a host of Bears held strong. The Dolphins had ten shots on the day, but most of them never got close enough to be threatening, thanks in large part to a strong defensive effort from Central Arkansas.
 
The Bears continued pressing high when the ball was in the offensive third, and in the 85^th, a pair of freshmen linked up for an impressive goal. Jama Akpanudo took the ball away from Jacksonville, and seeing Kayla Hurley making a run, gave it to the Gatorade Player of the Year, who lined it up and knocked in a shot to give Central Arkansas a 3-1 lead. Jacksonville would answer with 45 seconds to go, putting in a loose ball in the box, but it was too little, too late for the visitors.
 
Central Arkansas is back on the road for the final three regular season matches. Up next, a Florida trip, where the Bears will face Stetson on Thursday. Kickoff against the Hatters is set for 6 p.m. CT on Thursday.