The Central Arkansas women’s soccer team is preparing for an important home match against Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) on Sunday. The game, which will be held at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and has postseason implications for both teams.
Central Arkansas currently holds a record of 5-8-2 overall and 2-4-2 in ASUN conference play. The team recently secured a 1-0 victory over Bellarmine, with Sakiko Manabe scoring the decisive goal in the 83rd minute after Trace Pavatt forced a turnover and assisted her teammate. This win moved the Bears ahead of Bellarmine in the conference standings and gave them a potential tiebreaker advantage.
Earlier this season, Central Arkansas faced EKU on September 26th and lost 1-0 after conceding a goal in the 58th minute. That loss was part of a three-game stretch where Central Arkansas failed to score in each match. Since then, the Bears have improved offensively, scoring in five of their last six games and recording multiple goals twice. Their only two losses during this period were against Lipscomb, who lead the ASUN conference.
EKU enters Sunday’s match with a record of 9-2-4 overall and 4-1-2 in conference play. Since losing their first conference game to Lipscomb, EKU has gone unbeaten with four wins and two draws, allowing just two goals—both scored by Bellarmine—in their last two matches while outscoring opponents by a combined total of nine goals to two.
Avery May has played a key role for EKU, contributing to six goals either by scoring or assisting during conference matches. Goalkeeper Jordan LeVasseur has allowed only four goals across ASUN contests, maintaining a goals-against average of 0.60 with 36 saves.
In the current standings, EKU holds second place in the ASUN Gold division with a two-point margin separating them from both first and third place teams. Central Arkansas sits fourth, trailing North Alabama by four points but leading Bellarmine by two points.
Sunday’s match will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live statistics available online. Admission to the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex remains free for all attendees.
