(PHOTO/ Pawan Khanal)
The Trojans completed their home slate by winning all but two games at the Troy Soccer Complex. Troy has tied two games in conference play this season and has earned a spot in the Sun Belt Conference tournament on Nov. 6.
Kennedy Roy
Staff Writer
Thursday night was the last home soccer game of the season, and the Trojans were looking to finish their undefeated play at home with one more victory. Facing the program’s first home deficit of the season, at halftime, the Trojans rallied to defeat Little Rock 2-1.
Thursday night’s win pushed the Trojans into the postseason for the 12th consecutive season as they clinched a spot in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
The Trojans trail only the South Alabama Jaguars in the regular-season standings with 17 points in conference play and a 5-1-2 record in the Sun Belt Conference.
With a 10-2-4 overall record, the team is on pace for its best record since going 14-4-2 in 2015.
Troy completed an unbeaten homestand for the first time since 2014 when the Trojans went a perfect 9-0 at Troy Soccer Complex.
This game started very strong for the Trojans, but near the end of the first in the 35th minute, Little Rock’s (5-6-6, 2-2-4 Sun Belt) Julia Edholm took a pass from Morgan Smocovich and lofted a shot that was just out of the reach of Haleigh Mercer to take a 1-0 lead.
Heading into the locker room down 1-0, Troy was determined to beat Little Rock, and the second half showed just that.
Troy tied the match in the 67th minute when Kate Lorenz rocketed a shot from outside the box into the upper-left side of the net for her second goal of the season.
After tying the game, Troy worked around until the 83rd minute when the Trojans struck the game-winning goal when freshman Melissa Kuya-Strobel received a long pass from Kiersten Edlund and fired a shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
The assist for Edlund was her 11th of the season, which breaks Alissa Jones’ all-time mark (10) set back in 2014.
Troy returns to action Friday in San Marcos, Texas, to take on Texas State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
