CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women's soccer team grabbed an exciting 3-0 win over Little Rock Sunday evening, earning the team's first UAC win.
The Bears (4-5-2, 1-1 UAC) picked up the win in convincing fashion after netting all three goals in the first half, with scores going to
Jama Akpanudo,
Makenna Adam and
Megan Moudy.
Anna Kathryn Harrell got the clean sheet in net, earning her first shutout of the season in the win.
Central Arkansas wasted no time getting aggressive and pressing forward.
Sophia Backstrom put a couple of shots up early, testing the Little Rock defense in the opening minutes of the game. After repelling the first Little Rock try, the Bears countered, and
Sakiko Manabe dropped a ball to Adam, who drilled it in between two defenders for Akpanudo to run onto. The speedster did just that, outrunning both defenders, beating the keeper to the ball, and sidestepping the only possible barrier to a goal, and finished for the first score of the game.
But the Bears weren't done there, earning a corner kick just a couple of minutes after the first goal. Akpanudo again played a beautiful ball to Adam, but instead of giving the ball to someone else, the sophomore forward put a header into the net herself, notching her second goal of the season to give Central Arkansas a 2-0 lead.
Central Arkansas had to fight through a couple of shots from the Trojans, but found them easy to fend off. And after working out of the threat, the Bears drove back into dangerous territory and got fouled, giving the Bears a free kick from 25 yards out. Manabe and Moudy lined up on the ball, facing a four-man wall in front of the right corner of the goal. Manabe ran through, presenting an option that direction, and Moudy opted to punch the ball low and left, crossing the mouth of the goal and sneaking it off the post and into the back of the net for the 3-0 lead.
Up three after the break, Central Arkansas found that Little Rock wasn't ready to just give up. Play began to get more physical in the middle, as the Trojans sought to at least get on the board to give themselves a chance. But the back line,
Brooke Cross,
Emerson Kercher,
Rylee Reisdorph and
Kaylee Vorisek, battled the Trojans tooth and nail for 90 minutes, doing the dirty work all over the field to keep the clean sheet and give Harrell space to make saves all night long. Little Rock continued to press in the second half, throwing everything plus the kitchen sink at the Central Arkansas defense, but to no avail. Finally, with about 15 minutes left on the clock, Central Arkansas started to get control of the ball, and after a few more drives down the field, were able to extinguish the clock.
Central Arkansas goes back on the road for the next few games, starting next weekend at Abilene Christian on Sunday. Kickoff against the Wildcats is set for 1 p.m. in Abilene, Texas.
