UA draws UALR in opening round
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock women’s soccer team kicked off NCAA Tournament week with a selection show watch party Monday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center.
The University of Arkansas did the same at Razorback Field in Fayetteville.
Fresh off winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament over top-seeded Texas State on Sunday in Foley, Ala., the Trojans (13-4-4) learned Monday they will be heading to Fayetteville to face the Razorbacks
for their first NCAA Tournament appearance. It also will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
The Razorbacks (13-4-4) are coming off a loss to LSU on Sunday in the SEC Tournament championship in Orange Beach, Ala., where the Tigers won 4-1 on penalty kicks after the teams played to a 1-1 tie in the first 110 minutes.
First-year UALR Coach Mark Foster said drawing Arkansas wasn’t much of a surprise.
“This is definitely something to look forward to as far as the travel and for the interest of the fans,” Foster said. “Everyone around here is excited.
It’s really fantastic for both schools I do believe.”
Arkansas is in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in six years.
“What an exciting matchup,” Razorbacks Coach Colby Hale said. “You’ve got to think the fans from both teams will be here.
“The NCAA Tournament, any time it will generate interest, but when you’re playing someone that you don’t normally have an opportunity to play, I mean, it’s going to be huge for the state and for soccer in the state. This isn’t just about the Razorbacks now. This is about the state and the sport.”
Hale said he has an understanding of what playing the Razorbacks means to the Trojans.
“I’m sure [Coach Foster] will have them all riled up, telling them this is their chance to play the big dogs,” Hale said. “But our team does very well at home and we’re looking forward to it.”
Arkansas is 9-0-1 at home this season.
Hale said the Razorbacks feed off of their home crowd.
“Our style is really reliant on emotion and energy and passion,” he said. “The fans bring that. So in the moments of the game where maybe we hit a lull, they get it back for us.
“When you play here it just has a different feeling, a different electricity. Everyone in the conference has said this is one of the top two hardest places to play in the country, and the other is Texas A&M, which is a top-five team.
“We’re building a homefield
advantage that’s second to none.”
The Trojans, who finished second in the Sun Belt, have won a program-record 13 games in 2018 while posting a school-record 11 shutouts under Foster. UALR was the No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament behind Texas State, which the Trojans held without a goal in regulation and overtime before winning 6-5 on penalty kicks to earn the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
“We got in at 4 a.m. [Monday] from Foley and had two players who had to take 9 a.m. exams,” Foster said. “We’ve played four games the last seven days and have been on the road since last Friday. We’re tired, but it’s all been worth it.”
After completing the regular season Oct. 28 with a 3-1 loss at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., the Trojans headed to Alabama to open Sun Belt Conference play Wednesday where they defeated Arkansas State University 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie in regulation and overtime.
Two days later, they defeated Georgia State in the semifinals before winning the hardfought title over Texas State.
Foster said he felt fine taking the Bobcats into a shootout after the scoreless regulation and overtime, but little by little, each penalty kick round became more excruciating to watch.
“At the start, I was calm, but by the time we got to that last one, I couldn’t watch. I put my head in my hands,” he said. “Then I heard the girls go running by, and I knew that we had done it.
”It then became surreal and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness this happened.’ I did an interview with ESPN afterward and I was in a fog. I don’t even remember what I said.”
“We’re extremely fortunate to make it this far, and I’m real excited for our 10 seniors who have the opportunity to end their college careers like this,” Foster said. “I don’t think we’ll go in scared. We’ve played four games in seven days and have experienced every emotion possible. We are very excited and grateful for this opportunity.”
The winner of Friday’s game will advance to the round of 32 where it will play the winner between Texas and Virginia Tech.