CONWAY, Ark. – Back at home for the first time in four games, the Central Arkansas women's soccer team blanked the Austin Peay Governors 2-0 Thursday night, getting out early and protecting the lead for a UAC victory.
The Bears improved to 6-6-3 overall and 3-2-1 in UAC play, getting a key home win as the conference season crosses the halfway point.
Sakiko Manabe and
Megan Moudy each scored in the match, helping the Bears outshoot the Govs 18-5.
Central Arkansas got off to a fast start, looking to get up quickly after the slower start last time out.
Jama Akpanudo and
Caroline Billings each had shots on goal in the first 15 minutes, previewing what would be the exact start the Bears wanted.
It wouldn't take long for Central Arkansas to get on the board in this one. A hand ball in the box gave the Bears a penalty kick, and Manabe cooly, calmly, drilled it into the left side of the net to give the home team the early lead.
Barely 60 seconds later, the Bears were back in a dangerous position. And this time, it was the trio of Billings and Akpanudo getting the ball to the perfect place for Moudy to speed into the box and crush a shot past the keeper, doubling the lead in the first 20 minutes. The goals by Manabe and Moudy gave the Bears four scorers this season with four or more goals, while Akpanudo picked up her team-high sixth assist on the year with the second score of the night.
Central Arkansas continued to push forward, looking for a third goal that would put Austin Peay in a very bad spot. But despite peppering the goal with more shots on target, the Bears couldn't punch through again, with six more shots in the first half staying out of the net.
Austin Peay made some adjustments at halftime, and parlayed that into some offensive chances of its own early in the second half. But while the possession percentage started to favor the Govs in the second half,
Anna Kathryn Harrell was a wall between the posts, stopping both shots on goal she faced and cleaning up anything that managed to snake through into the box. The senior picked up her second clean sheet of the season, both coming in UAC games. But as time pressed on, the Bears started claiming possession again, and especially late in the game, came away with some shots on goal of their own to keep the Govs from getting a chance to get a goal.
Central Arkansas is at home again on Sunday, hosting North Alabama in a UAC match. Kickoff against the Lions is set for 1 p.m.
