The South Alabama soccer team clinched the Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship with a 4-1 win at Arkansas State on Friday, then closed the regular season Sunday with a 2-1 victory at Arkansas-Little Rock to extend its unbeaten streak to 15 matches.
The Jaguars will host the Sun Belt Conference tournament, which begins Nov. 5 at The Cage on the South Alabama campus in Mobile.
Four Scorers Against Arkansas State
Arkansas State scored six minutes into Friday’s match, but South Alabama answered with two goals in a span of about two minutes. Freshman Danielle Henley tied the match in the 20th minute when her shot went in off the goalkeeper, and Steffi Hardy put the Jaguars ahead in the 22nd minute with a free kick from 20 yards.
South Alabama added two second-half goals. Charde Hannah scored off a pass from Chelsea Followwell in the 81st minute, and freshman Rio Hardy finished a breakaway at 89:13 for the final margin.
Goalkeeper Sarah Hay made eight saves.
Rio Hardy Delivers Winner at UALR
Nini Rabsatt-Smith opened the scoring Sunday at the 6:22 mark, intercepting a back pass intended for the Arkansas-Little Rock goalkeeper and putting it into the net.
The Trojans tied the match in the 34th minute. Just over four minutes later, freshman Charde Hannah’s shot was saved by the UALR goalkeeper, and Rio Hardy headed in the rebound for the game-winning goal.
Hay made five saves and allowed one goal.
Sun Belt Tournament at Home
South Alabama will open the Sun Belt tournament with a rematch against Arkansas-Little Rock at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at The Cage.
