JONESBORO, Ark. – Despite several good looks throughout the match, the Central Arkansas women’s soccer team continued to struggle to find the back of the net, falling 3-0 to Arkansas State on Sunday.
The loss drops the Bears to 0-1-1 to start the young season, with both showings so far this season on the road. Central Arkansas tallied 11 shots on the day from eight different Bears.
It was an aggressive start for the Bears, as Central Arkansas made several deep drives into Red Wolf territory, but the team was unable to capitalize and find the back of the net. Anna Kerr got the offense started with a shot in the fourth minute, but it was wide left of the goal.
Fifteen minutes into the game, the Red Wolves gathered themselves and adjusted to the pressure, taking control of the midfield and shifting momentum. It resulted in the first goal of the match, as Arkansas State took a 1-0 lead early in the match.
The teams battled back and forth for the rest of the half, each side having some good looks at shots, but the scoring was nonexistent through the remainder of the first half.
Arkansas State continued to keep the momentum, threatening to open the lead even more in the opening minutes of the second half. A couple of yellow cards by the Red Wolves stymied their aggression, allowing the Bears to counter. Gracie Hair almost evened it in the 58th minute, blasting a shot past the outstretched keeper, but it glanced off the right post and out.
From there, the Red Wolves took control, scoring again in the 70thth minutes. A desperate Bears squad started fighting towards the end, coming close on several attempts as the clock ticked down. A-State added one final goal with less than 30 seconds left, putting the final touches on a 3-0 loss for the Bears.
Central Arkansas looks to rebound with its home opener on Thursday, as the Bears take on Little Rock at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex. Match time against the Trojans is set for 7 pm