UCA wins home opener 2-0 behind two second-half goals

Central Arkansas grabbed its first win of the season on Friday night, holding off Belmont for a 2-0 result in the team’s home opener.

The win pushed UCA to 1-1-1 on the young season.

Belmont came in ready to attack. The Bruins tried to push the pace for most of the night and spent long stretches camped in UCA’s end.

UCA didn’t budge though. Even with Belmont firing off corner kicks and throw-ins one after another, the Bears held their shape and cleared danger whenever it popped up.

Goalkeeper Merrick Cook played a big part in that early hold.

Whenever a shot slipped through, he was there to snuff it out before it caused any trouble.

Belmont controlled the ball for large chunks of the opening half, but that didn’t translate into much on the scoreboard.

UCA stayed patient and waited for its own chances.

The second half looked different right away. Belmont kept pushing, but UCA found its footing on offense and started to create some danger of its own.

Junior forward Michael Walenchok nearly broke through in the 61st minute. He got loose with the ball and ripped a shot that deflected off the Belmont keeper, just missing the net.

UCA breaks through late

That near-miss didn’t slow the Bears down. A few minutes later, sophomore Dalton Anderson found the back of the net for his first goal of the year. Noa Bamballi threaded a pass through the middle that set him up for the finish.

Belmont tried to answer right back, pushing numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Instead, UCA’s defense turned the tables again.

The Bears sprang a through ball to Vaclav Kozeny, who beat a Belmont defender and then beat the keeper to make it 2-0.

That goal, which came a few minutes after Anderson’s, put the game out of reach.

Belmont kept trying until the final whistle, throwing in extra pressure and hunting for a goal that never came.

Cook made sure of that.

He finished with seven saves and picked up his first clean sheet of the year, staying calm through nine Belmont corner kicks and several more throw-ins.

The final stat sheet showed a tight battle. Belmont had 12 shots to UCA’s 13, and Belmont led in shots on goal 7-4.

UCA lost the corner battle 3-9 but made its chances count where it mattered most.

Bears look ahead to Oral Roberts

UCA will try to keep the momentum going next Friday at home against Oral Roberts. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Sept. 4.

Oral Roberts comes in at 1-0-2 on the season, so the Bears will have their hands full trying to build a winning streak.

For now, UCA can enjoy its first win of the year and the shutout that came with it.

Anderson, Kozeny and Cook all delivered in big moments, and the Bears will look to carry that energy into their next matchup.