This was their first game after the upsetting PK loss in the Sunbelt Conference tournament against South Alabama in November. The Oklahoma Cowgirls came in hot scoring their first goal at minute eight from a corner kick that gave them the momentum to continue on to their second goal of the match at minute 26. 

The pressure was on, but Saskia Wagner, the Trojans’ goalkeeper, had five outstanding saves that really showed her determination throughout the game. Regardless of the heat OSU brought, Wagner was there to cool it down. 

With a missed penalty at minute 29 and another goal from the Cowgirls minute 41, Oklahoma was leading 2-0 at the end of the first half. However, the Trojans were still hopeful for what the next 45 minutes could bring. 

Moving on to the second half, Wagner had a huge safe that kept the score at 2-0 but just seven minutes later, at minute 57, the Cowgirls netted their third goal of the game. At minute 84, the Trojans had a wonderful scoring opportunity but with the extensive dive, the Cowgirls’ goalkeeper had, their attempt fell short. 

The Trojans were on the defense for much of the game but still attempted seven shots and of those, four were shots on goal. 

Follow the Trojans on the road to Jonesboro for their second game of the spring season on Saturday, March 6 at 2 p.m. against the Arkansas State Wolves.

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The Trojans showed improvement throughout the game with multiple attempts on goal and freshman goalkeeper, Saskia Wagner, once again, shining through with her ability to keep the game afloat. She blocked a total of seven shots on goal with five being in the first half. 

Thirty minutes into the first half and six shots on goal later, the Red Wolves attempted a long shot that snuck into the top left corner, making it almost impossible for Wagner to block. The Red Wolves were now leading 1-0 but the Trojans continued fighting. 

The last 15 minutes saw some action with a few shots on goal by the Trojan and a few fouls committed by the Red Wolves. 

With the second half in full swing, the Trojans were playing tough, and the defense really showed character and was not letting anything through. They only saw about five shots on goal and two that were skillfully stopped by Wagner. 

The Trojans showed tenacity and hard work throughout the game. They are excited to continue improving their skills and teamwork while playing against competitive teams. 

Little Rock is traveling just an hour south to Pine Bluff on Tuesday, March 16 to take on the ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝PB Golden Lions at 3 p.m.

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“It shows you how important the seniors are to our team, and when they are on it and play to the best of their ability, they take our team to another level,” expressed head coach, Mark Foster, about the skillful and hardworking seniors. 

From the start of the match, ULM was putting pressure on the Trojans. At minute 16, the Warhawks scored off a header from a corner kick that put them in the lead 1-0. Not long after, at minute 23, Little Rock’s only corner kick of the game was taken by senior midfielder, Morgan Smocavich that beautifully curved into the box, and with a slight header touch by senior forward, Doro Greulich that put the ball to the far right back of the net, the game was now 1-1. 

“It just shows how good Morgan is at crossing the ball. Every corner is very dangerous for her and I am glad I got my head at the end of it. It gave us good momentum to finally get into the game and to get going and to win the game at the end,” said Greulich. 

Energized from their performance during the first match, the Trojans came in ready to untie the game. Their tenacity shined through with their possession in the second half. The Little Rock soccer team kept the pressure and amounted great opportunities but remained scoreless, pushing for overtime. 

All too familiar overtime ended just as soon as it began. Within three minutes, senior defender Bergros Asgeirsdottir set up a pass to junior midfielder Abril Lucio who skillfully touched and set up the ball inside the box for a fully loaded kick that went right past the ULM goalkeeper to the back of the net. The whistle blew and the Trojans came out victorious. 

After just two months and 10 games, the Little Rock soccer team is going into the postseason. The Trojans finished their regular season strong, full of potential and determination—a cohesive team that has grown together and is now ready for the Sun Belt Tournament. 

The Trojans will travel to Foley, Alabama for the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament on Monday, Nov. 2. Little Rock ranks fourth in the West division and will go head-on with Georgia Southern, the fifth ranking team in the East division. The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. Tune in to ESPN+ to support your Trojans while on the road.

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“The girls played an amazing game tonight and can take a lot of confidence from going toe-to-toe with a team that was in the final last year and is at the top of our bracket this year,” expressed head coach Mark Foster. “I’ve been telling these ladies that we can be as good as anyone, but we need the results to start believing, so hopefully they can take a lot of confidence from tonight’s performance.” 

The Little Rock defense performed flawlessly against the Red Wolves, not allowing a single goal from the division-leading team. The most notable player of the game was starting freshman goalkeeper, Saskia Wagner, who came in strong and fought off any strike that came her way. 

She had a stellar performance with five dangerous blocks that determined the outcome of the game. The rest of the defense looked cohesive and showed their true strength throughout the night. 

“We did a really good job in the defensive area. They had some shots on my goal, but we defended very well. We have to keep going like this,” said Wagner. 

The offense also played with passion and the Trojans worked well as a team to get the ball upfield and have as many scoring opportunities as possible, even though in the end, they came up short. However, it was a tough game for the Red Wolves it being their second game in a row that they went into double overtime and broke their winning streak. 

Today, the Trojans played their hearts out and plan to continue with the same energy throughout the rest of the season. Support Little Rock soccer as they travel to San Marcos on Sunday, Oct. 18 for a 1 p.m. match to face the Texas State Bobcats in hopes to secure another win against them. 

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Because of lightning and rain in the area, the game was delayed by an hour and a half—starting until 8:30 p.m. This did not stop the Trojans from giving their all on both sides, offense and defense. 

The first half was uneventful with a few shots on goal by both teams and good defense by their goalkeepers. At minute six, senior defender, Bergros Asgeirsdottir attempted the first shot on goal of the match but was stopped by the Cajuns’ goalkeeper. At minute 20, freshman midfielder, Mariella Stephens tried for a goal but was a bit out left of the goal. 

In the second half, a Cajun forward took a long shot on goal that hit the top crossbar, the Little Rock defense scrambled to get the ball out of the box, but Julia Edholm, sophomore defender, had a great performance delegating the defense. 

The Trojans had two good opportunities that ultimately did not pan out but were great attempts—both by outstanding player senior forward, Doro Greulich. The first attempt came off a free kick from freshman forward, Skylar Geren, Greulich flicked up the ball but flew too high over the crossbar. Her second chance came minutes later when she effortlessly kicked the ball toward the bottom left of the goal, making the Lousiana goalkeeper dangerously dive to stop the ball. 

The two overtimes played out monotonously but not without Little Rock leaving their hearts on the field. With so much determination and poise, they proved to be a strong team within the Sunbelt conference. 

The last home game of the regular season will be held on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 5:00 p.m. when the Trojans welcome the ULM Warhawks to the Coleman Sports Complex. Come out and support your Trojans on Senior Day where the four seniors on the team will be recognized for their four years of hard work and dedication.

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LITTLE ROCK – The LR Trojans are coming in with a grand slam this season. For the first time in program history, they defeated the Texas State Bobcats with a 2-0 home opener with goals from seniors Morgan Smocavich and Doro Greulich. 

“Tonight to put such a consistent performance in over 90 minutes with our lack of fitness or much practice was pretty amazing. It has to be…one of the best victories since we’ve been with the coaching staff here,” Mark Foster, the head coach for the ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock soccer team, said.

The first half saw little action but the Trojans kept their pressure on the Bobcats with a few shots on goal by Mari Young and Smocavich. 

The Trojans came in the second half with high energy and high hopes. With a foul at the 48th minute by the Bobcats right outside the box, Little Rock saw a great scoring opportunity. Smocavich made sure to keep the ball low and towards the right of the goalie. She led the beautifully curved kick right above the Bobcats heads to the right corner of the net. 

At minute 61, Greulich ascended into the box for a penalty kick that would define the rest of the game. Positioned at the right corner, she tapped the ball right passed the Bobcat goalie’s fingertips to put Little Rock at a 2-0 lead. Greulich showed her strength after struggling with an injury for the past two years which caused her to sit out in the 2019 season. 

The team was on fire. They were not going to let this lead slip away from them – battling off four more corner kicks from Bobcats. The 2018 and 2019 season ended up with ties against the Bobcats, so this put Little Rock at their first victory over Texas State since they started in the same conference in 2013. 

The Little Rock defense was as much part of the victory as the offense. Their teamwork and persistence shined through with two shots blocked, a team save, and three outstanding saves from keeper Saskia Wagner. The team stayed united and determined throughout the game that resulted in a well-deserved win. 

Now 1-0 in the Sun Belt Conference, the Trojans hope to keep the ball rolling and score another victory in Jonesboro against Arkansas State this coming Thursday, October 1 at 3:00 p.m.

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