Soccer team to participate in ‘Kick for Cure’

The Bears’ men and women’s soccer teams will play in the “Kick for the Cure” seven-on-seven tournament April 14 at Burns Park in North Little Rock to raise money for cancer.
Assistant coach Michael Gerard said that anyone could play in the tournament if they would like.
“Teams can be a collection of anyone from co-ed to college teams and even adults,” he said.
Gerard said the same tournament was held last year and that even Harding University’s soccer team came for the cause.
He added that teams from UCA will be involved in the tournament and that injuries are no worry.
“We will put two teams to play together in the seven-on-seven tournament for the weekend,” he said. “I’m not really worried about injuries. There are fewer tackles because it’s frowned upon more in this tournament. Of course there will be some tackles, but not near as many.”
Bears junior defensive midfielder junior Connor Bowen said the tournament is for a great cause.
“It is to bring sort of the community out to watch the game and get the community involved with the cause,” he said.
He also said that he is looking forward to playing and wants to win.
“I think I am going to like playing against our own team. It’s always nice competing against your own teammates and doing it for a good cause and seeing people come out that normally don’t,” he said. “Winning is definitely a goal. I hate to lose more than anything, and just playing soccer makes it fun.”
Bowen said the reason he wants to win is just for inter-squad bragging rights.
He also agreed with Gerard and said he is not worried about injuries.
“I don’t really think about injuries period. Normally for me, if I think of injuries or the possibility of getting hurt it tends to happen or you play tentatively and that’s not good,” he said.
Bowen said he will most likely be playing midfield most of the time, but because the teams have only seven players, they will switch up how they play.
He said the games are only half of a field so the seven on seven makes it a lot quicker style of play. He also said that there would be more shooting and more goals in a tournament such as this.
Bears senior midfielder Michael Quinn said he also thinks the tournament is for a good cause and brings the people together.