Other Sports
UCA Scores, Survives Late Surge to Beat Oral Roberts
CONWAY, Ark. – A soccer game with goal in the opening five minutes, usually, is an indicator of lots of offense for the final 85 minutes. That was the feeling Thursday evening in Conway, when Central Arkansas’s Tajio James scored in the 4th minute against Oral Roberts.
But that wasn’t to be the case. The Bears ended up winning 1-0 after the game turned into a defensive battle. Keeper Javier Ramirez got his third shutout of the season and made six saves during the match to preserve the shutout.
James got an assist from Charles-Emile Brunet on the goal. Brunet found James near the box and James shook a defender before putting the ball Oral Roberts’ keeper. James nearly had a second goal a few minutes later but the shot went over the crossbar. The goal was the first of 2024 for James and made him the seventh different Central Arkansas player to score a goal.
Despite outshooting the Golden Eagles 12-10 in the game, the second half saw Oral Roberts gain the offensive advantage with five corner kicks in the second half and multiple shots in the final five minutes of the game. But the Bears hung on for the win.
The Bears will stay home for the next one, playing Missouri State next Tuesday. Kickoff time against the other Bears is set for 7 p.m.