In their journey away from home, the women’s soccer Bears faced their toughest opponent with a 6-0 loss against Liberty University but quickly made a comeback with a 2-1 win against the newest school in the ASUN conference, Queens University.
The Bears played Liberty University Thursday, Sept. 29, in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Liberty Flames came out of the match with an ASUN conference record of 4-0-1; the team is undefeated and on a winning streak.
The loss against Liberty was UCA’s biggest score loss, and the most opposing goals a team has managed to get against the Bears.
Liberty grabbed its first goal 20 minutes in, with a shot by freshman defender Haleigh Arostegui. Just three minutes later Liberty senior midfielder McKinley Burkett grabbed another goal for the Flames, setting the score 2-0. Burkett is third on ASUN’s goal leaderboard, with five goals in this season.
Liberty’s offense did not hold up, making shot after shot on the Bears — allowing UCA’s Kajsa Pruner to show her claws.
Pruner, a freshman goalkeeper from Varnamo, Sweden, grabbed four saves in the first period, slowing the Flame’s advance into the lead.
Liberty got one final goal in the first period with just three minutes remaining off a shot by freshman forward Allison Hansford.
The second half delivered a burst of bravery from the Bears with four total shots against Liberty.
UCA’s freshman forward Nina Mazzola broke the team’s shot-stalemate at the 56th minute. Liberty’s Ainsley Leja squashed the Bear’s effort with a quick save.
The Lady Flames grabbed their three final goals within three minutes of each other. Shots from freshman forward Halle Engle and Hansford moved the score to 6-0.
In a hail-mary attempt, the Bears threw out three shots following the sixth score on them.
Mazolla let out another shot on goal, saved by Liberty’s freshman goalkeeper Riley Hill.
UCA’s senior forward Taylor Lassiter and sophomore midfielder Abby Johnson rang out shots in the final two minutes finding their way just out of sight of the net.
The loss dropped the Bears 1-3-1 in the ASUN Conference and 3-7-2 on year.
Next, the team set off to Charlotte, North Carolina, to grab a long-awaited win against ASUN newcomer Queens University Sunday, Oct. 2.
The Bears brought the fight to the field, with a final score of 2-1, breaking a short losing streak against some tough teams.
Continually outshot by their opponents, the Bears managed four shots to the Royals eight in the first half. Queens managed 15 in the second, to the Bears seven, making the game a season-high for the Queens’ Royals with 22 shots overall.
The first goal of the game was grabbed by Lassiter for UCA, assisted by sophomore forward Anna Kerr.
Junior goalkeeper Keyla Perez spearheaded the Bears’ defense, saving four shots in the first.
Perez was proud of her team for grabbing the win on Queens’ senior night.
“I think we did great and fought with a lot of heart to get that win on their senior day,” Perez said.
The Royals refused a shutout, grabbing their first and only goal in the second half off a shot from Queens junior midfielder Sophia Muetterties.
Just three minutes later, UCA graduate student Taylor Webb snatched the last goal of the game.
The Royals, roused by losing the tie, tried their hardest to rebalance the game. UCA’s Pruner took the chance to show her skills – saving four shots in the aftermath of Webb’s game-winning kick.
The Bears will return home for their next two games. At 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, the team will face Jacksonville State, which stands 0-4 in ASUN Conference and 2-10 overall.
Next, the Bears will meet Kennesaw State at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9. Kennesaw currently stands 2-1-1 in ASUN Conference and 4-6-2 overall.
The round of away matches placed UCA firmly in the middle of ASUN standings, with a conference score of 2-3-1 and 4-7-2 on the year.