CARROLLTON, Ga. – After battling through nearly 85 minutes of scoreless soccer, the Central Arkansas women's soccer team finally punched in a game-winner, defeating West Georgia 1-0 in an ASUN road match Sunday afternoon.
The Bears improved to 3-5 on the year, and have come quick out of the gates for a 2-0 ASUN start.
Kelly Van Gundy scored for the third match in a row, and is now tied for team lead in scores.
Central Arkansas started off the match strong, earning four corner kicks in the opening minutes, but the Bears couldn't turn them into anything. West Georgia countered and took a couple of shots over the first 30 minutes, but under the Georgia sun, the first half was relatively uneventful. Possession went back and forth through the midfield, and the Wolves were able to put three shots on goal, but
Kajsa Pruner was on top of it and shut the home team down.
Van Gundy looked to open the second half with a goal, but her shot was saved in the nick of time. The Bears took a couple more shots as time continued, but just like the first half, the second half was not flush with scoring opportunities. Central Arkansas controlled possession, but couldn't seem to find that last pass or that great touch in the box.
Finally, with just under six minutes to go, the Bears drew a penalty, getting fouled in the box to earn a PK. Van Gundy, who scored on both PK attempts she took last year, stepped up in a critical moment. Lining it up, she put it into the upper right corner, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead that would hold for the final six minutes.
Central Arkansas started ASUN play with two wins now in back-to-back seasons, also doing so last year. The Bears are also winners of three-straight, winning all three by a single score. Sunday's result also marks the second-straight game in which the Bears pulled off a win in the final ten minutes of the match, having done so with 11 seconds left in the last match.
The Bears stay on the road for the next two matches, heading to the Volunteer State next week. There, Central Arkansas will play Lipscomb and Austin Peay, starting with the Bisons on Thursday at 6 p.m.
