Louisiana ties program record for wins
LOUISIANA La. - Kelli Good's penalty kick in the 26th minute was the difference here Sunday afternoon at Cajun Field as Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns women's soccer team posted a 1-0 win over Arkansas-Little Rock in Sun Belt Conference action.
The goal was Good's third of the season and allowed the Cajuns to even their conference record at 2-2. Louisiana also picked up its sixth victory of the season which ties the program record established in 2001 and tied last season.
UALR, playing without leading scorer Dee Dee Beyhan (13 goals, 2 assists) who was serving a one-match suspension for a red card Friday at South Alabama, fell to 5-11-1 overall and 1-5 in the Sun Belt.
"This was an important conference win for us because it all but guarantees us a trip to the Sun Belt Tournament," said Louisiana coach Dave Poggi. "The results that happened Friday night kind of turned everything upside down, so for us this was an important result that we needed."
The win was also the Cajuns third straight over UALR and ended a five-match winless streak and at Cajun Field.
Freshman goalkeeper Anna Brannon collected four saves including a diving stop of a shot by UALR's Stacie St. Julian in the 79th minute to preserve the clean sheet - one of four second-half saves made by the Acadiana High product.
The shutout was Brannon's third solo shutout of the season and the team's fifth which ties the program single-season record for shutouts.
Unlike Friday's match, the Cajuns came out strong and set the tone of the match with their defense. Louisiana held the Trojans without a shot attempt the entire first half as UALR was unable to create any scoring chances deep inside Cajun territory.
"I thought that defensively we limited them and it showed in the first half," Poggi said. "Offensively we created good goal-scoring chances and avoided the mistakes that hurt us Friday."
The LAdy Cajuns caught a break when UALR was whistled for a hand-ball violation inside the penalty box at the 26:49 mark of the first half. UL was awarded a penalty kick and Good made sure the Cajuns took advantage sending her shot into the upper-left corner of the net past Trojans goalie Marsha Stewart for the match-winner.
"I think it was a just result," Poggi remarked. "You could look at the stats and say that they scored on a penalty kick, but we had other chances as well.
"I feel like the result was deserving," Poggi added. "People stepped up their game today and played as a unit and that's what got us the result."
Tiffany Garber led all Cajuns with four shots. The sophomore forward now has 30 shots this season which is four from tying the program's single-season record of 34 set by Melissa Purvis in 2001.
The Cajuns will return to action next weekend for their final two road matches of the regular season. Louisiana visits North Texas on Friday, Oct. 24 and Denver Sunday, Oct. 26.
LOUISIANA SI
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