Photo by: Krishnan Collins | Sports Editor: Sarah Sodoma dribbles in the Red Wolves’ 2-1 loss to Coastal Carolina. Sodoma took a corner that eventually found its way to Julianna Coates who scored the Red Wolves’ only goal in the match.

The Arkansas State soccer team lost at home for the first time all season when the Red Wolves fell to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 2-1 Friday afternoon.

With the loss to the Chanticleers, the Red Wolves’ Sun Belt Conference record fell to 4-2-3 on the year and A-State’s overall record dropped to 8-5-3. A-State currently sits in third in the SBC table and has a point tally of 15. Troy sits above the Red Wolves in the table with 17 points while Texas State falls just under A-State with 13.

Troy travels to Texas State later tonight in an important top-of-the-table clash that could see the Red Wolves leap-frogged by Texas State or Troy could put second place out of A-State’s reach with one conference match left to play after Friday’s action.

The Red Wolves host in-state foe Little Rock on Sunday. The match promises to have major implications in the Red Wolves’ Sun Belt Conference tournament seeding. Kick off is set for 1 p.m.

Editors note: A-State’s regular season finale against Little Rock is moved to Oct. 29 due to unplayable field conditions. A time has yet to be announced at the time of writing. Troy defeated Texas State  1-0. A-State cannot finish any better than third, but that being said, the Red Wolves control their own destiny. A win against Little Rock guarantees a third place finish for A-State. 

Quick goal summary 

After an uninspiring first half from either team, the match came to life in the second half. The game seemed much more open and both teams looked to attack. Coastal Carolina found a 1-0 lead in the in the 54th minute through Gabby Smychynsky, before Julianna Coates equalized in the 83rd. Moments later, the Chanticleer’s secured all three points on a Mackenzie Gibbs goal in the 88th minute.

Second half

A-State looked like they were staging an inspired comeback late in the second half, but after a goalkeeping error, the Red Wolves’ comeback fell short.

In the 88th minute. Coastal’s Caeden Price found the ball on the right side of the field. Price crossed the ball into the Red Wolves’ box and Megan McClure ran off her line with no hesitation. Whether the junior keeper needed to step off her line or not, McClure attempted a sliding clearance but missed the ball.

After the ball bounced around, Mackenzie Gibbs calmly headed it into an open net to put Coastal up 2-1.

Just moments before the Chanticleer’s winning goal, Sarah Sodoma took back-to-back corners after a dominant spell of play by the Red Wolves. On her second corner, Sodoma fizzed a ball across the grass that found the feet of Coates. The center back calmly finished the chance to tie the game at 1-1. The match seemed to be in A-State’s after the goal but the Red Wolves just ended up unlucky on the afternoon.

In the 54th minute, Coastal Carolina took a corner kick that bounced all over the Red Wolves’ box. Although it looked like the chance had gone, the ball eventually fell to Smychynsky. The senior defender somehow slotted the ball home after a sloppy bit of play to give Coastal a 1-0 lead.

Sodoma and Nadia El-Shami were bright spots for the Red Wolves in the match. El-Shami came off the bench and constantly tried to affect the play. The freshman distributed the ball well and always had an attacking idea. Although Sodoma did not score, she looked like her usual self on the ball. The junior beat Coastal players on the dribble and delivered many dangerous crosses.

First half

Neither team made many concrete chances in the first half. Coastal Carolina dominated possession for most of the half but the Red Wolves started connecting more passes towards the end of the first period.

In the 42nd minute, El-Shami used a bit of skill to burn a coastal defender before playing a cross into the box. No A-State player could get on the end of the cross.

El-Shami looked bright for the Red Wolves in a half where A-State’s offense could not really get anything going.

Olivia Smith started the game at left back but moved to forward later in the half. With six minutes left in the first period, Smith found El-Shami with a through ball but the freshman mishandled the pass; she might have had a shot on goal with a better touch.

The Red Wolves looked dangerous on set pieces. In the 38th minute, Haley Husted swung in a corner that looked threatening, but no A-State player connected.

Early on in the half, Husted gave the ball away on the right side of the field as the Chanticleers sprung a cross field ball after the turnover. It looked like Coastal might be in on McClure’s goal, but Smith made a great recovery run and tackled the ball away.

The Red Wolves were not connecting passes between their backline to the midfield, and then on to the forwards in the first half. A-State continually tried long balls forward but achieved little success.

The Chanticleers outshot the Red Wolves 4-3 in the first half.

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