02 Nov 2016 UCA’s Bishop receives honor

After leading the Central Arkansas women’s soccer team to the No. 1 seed in this week’s Southland Conference Tournament and an undefeated record in league play, head coach Jeremy Bishop was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.

Bishop, who is currently in his fifth season at the helm of the Bears, led a team that dominated the Southland Conference stat book this season to become just the fourth program in league history to finish with an unbeaten record while tallying the third-best goal differential in conference history at plus-33.

The Bears led the league in every offensive category this season, tallying 134 points, 46 goals, 2.42 goals per game, 42 assists and 2.21 assists per game. The Bears were just as effective defensively, leading the Southland in goals allowed (13), goals against average (0.67) and shutouts (11).

The Bears, who went 10-0-1 in Southland Conference play this season, will be make their third-ever appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament, marking the third time in the past four years that they have advanced to the postseason. Central Arkansas, whose previous best finish in the Southland Conference was fourth place in 2007, won the Southland Conference regular season title this year, as well as the top-seed in the SLC Tournament.

Under Bishop’s guidance, the Bears saw a league-high seven players earn All-Southland Conference honors, shattering the previous program best of four last season.

Bishop and the Bears will open their appearance in the 2016 Southland Conference Tournament in the second round at 7 p.m. Friday, facing off against either fourth-seeded Houston Baptist or fifth-seeded Southeastern Louisiana.