WKU soccer couldn’t break its two game losing streak Sunday, as the Hilltoppers fell to Arkansas State 2-1 for their third loss in the row.
After being outscored 11-0 in their last two road games to Arkansas and Dayton, the Hilltoppers managed to find the back of the net, but were unable to score an equalizer against the Red Wolves.
“For us, we haven’t been a team that’s been very good in the last several years where we’re down a goal or two goals,” Head Coach Jason Neidell said. “To be able to fight back and put ourselves in a position to possibly tie the game up was great,”
Arkansas State scored out of the gate, finding the back of the net 3:18 into the game. The Hilltoppers were denied an answering goal in the first half, unable to score on their four shot attempts.
The Red Wolves controlled the ball and the flow of the game throughout the first half, and this stayed true in the second. WKU out shot the Red Wolves 6-3 in the second half and got their only save of the game by senior goalkeeper Maddie Davis. Arkansas State scored their second goal of the game in the 71st minute.
However, 36 seconds later, senior Kayla Meyer answered, putting WKU within one of the Red Wolves. This gave Meyer her fourth goal of the season and 11th of her career.
The Arkansas State defense stayed strong, earning the narrow victory after a Meyer goal missed the net.
Neidell addressed some of the miscues for the Hilltoppers.
“I think we had a lot of wasted opportunities where we had people open and chose to do different things with the ball. Just couldn’t execute,” Neidell said. “We need to clean that stuff up and be better defensively.”
The Hilltoppers will conclude non-conference play in a match versus Ohio. The defending MAC Champions will come into town on Thursday for senior night at the WKU Soccer Complex.
Sports reporter Michael Givner Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
