CONWAY, Ark. – Central Arkansas men's soccer (4-1-1, 1-0 ASUN) picked up its first ASUN win of the season Thursday, defeating Lipscomb 1-0 behind a second-half goal from
Joseph Mwamba.
From the opening kick, the game was physical as the Bears looked to start 1-0 in conference play. Central Arkansas started confidently with the ball and controlled possession early. The Bisons struggled to advance the ball into Central Arkansas' third thanks to strong defensive play from the Bears around midfield.
Lipscomb created its first scoring opportunity in the 18th minute, but senior
Kaisei Matsudo made a crucial clearance to keep the game scoreless. As the first half continued, the Bears looked to break through, with
Kyle Schwartz getting a shot off in the Bisons' defensive third after receiving a pass from
Danny Nava. The shot went just left of the goal.
Vaclav Kozeny also put a shot on goal in the 34th minute, but the Lipscomb goalkeeper made the save to keep the match tied 0-0 heading into halftime.
Lipscomb started the second half with possession and looked to come out quickly, but the Bears soon created an opportunity of their own. Central Arkansas broke through in the 54th minute when
Joseph Mwamba found the back of the net off a corner kick.
Garner Wolfe was credited with the assist, his second of the season.
As the pressure mounted on Lipscomb to find an equalizer, the Bisons had an opportunity in transition in the 64th minute, but the shot sailed wide right. Lipscomb tried to create offense along the bench-side of the field with through passes, but Central Arkansas quickly recovered defensively and slowed the attacks down.
Goalkeeper
Merrick Cook had another impressive performance, recording the shutout and making two clutch saves in the 86th and 88th minutes to keep the Bisons scoreless. He finished the match with three total saves.
With the win, Central Arkansas has now won four straight games and eight consecutive matches at Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex dating back to last season. The Bears will be on the road next Tuesday to take on UAB at 7 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live stats available online.
