Arkansas Returns to SEC Tournament Semifinals After PK Shootout Win Over Kentucky

PENSACOLA, Fla. – 5-seed No. 25 Arkansas women’s soccer (8-5-5) won just its second-ever penalty kick shootout in program history on Tuesday night in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, 5-4 over 4-seed No. 22 Kentucky (9-5-4). The match was tied 1-1 after 90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime.

Freshman goalkeeper Emily Jenkins saved the Wildcats’ attempt to tie the shootout at 5-5 and sent the Hogs to the semifinals for the ninth time in the last 11 tournaments.

The 5-seed Razorbacks will face 9-seed Texas on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m. The Longhorns took down 1-seed Vanderbilt, the top-ranked team in the country, 2-1.

How it Happened

Arkansas’ first opportunity of the match came 15 minutes in with its first corner kick, an outswinger taken by junior defender Madden McDonald that was cleared out. Kentucky earned its first corner two minutes later with the same result.

The Hogs countered following the clearance and brought the ball nearly to the touchline before freshman Jordan Bryant served it into the 18-yard box. A Kentucky defender failed to clear Bryant’s cross and the ball pinballed around until a second clearance was made, which found the head of freshman forward MacKenzie Gwin, who headed it to junior forward Kyndal Ewertz just outside the six-yard box. Ewertz was met by Wildcats goalkeeper Megan Holland and another defender as she went up for the header but rose above them for her fifth goal of the season.

Ewertz was involved in Kentucky’s first chance in the 39th minute after committing a handball just outside the side of the penalty box. Wildcats’ midfielder Nadia Ramadan took the kick right at goal, but it hit the crossbar and went over the goal.

Kentucky had another good look in the final minute of the half, but Arkansas goalkeeper Keegan Smith saved it.

Ewertz’s goal was Arkansas’ only shot of the half. The Wildcats took four shots, and only the last one was on target.

The Hogs nearly doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when sophomore forward Vailana Tu’ua won a Kentucky throw-in and played it through to McDonald, whose strike hit the crossbar.

The Wildcats broke through in the 85th minute with a penalty kick from Ramadan after she was fouled by junior midfielder Aniyah Nurse-Whyte inside the penalty box.

Ramadan nearly won it for Kentucky two minutes later, but Smith came up with another big save, her fourth of the game.

With the 1-1 finish, the match entered the first of two 10-minute golden goal overtime periods to determine who advanced to the semifinals.

Four minutes into overtime, freshman forward Lauren Van Rhein drew a penalty after she was fouled in the box. Senior defender Avery Wren took the potential winning kick, but it was saved by Holland, who received a yellow card for taunting Wren prior to the kick.

Kentucky earned a penalty in the 97th minute after senior defender Bella Field stopped an attack with a tough tackle; however, Arkansas successfully challenged an uncalled offside violation before the foul. That decision took away the potential winner for the Wildcats.

Neither team scored in the remaining 13 minutes of overtime, and the match went to penalties. Jenkins took over for Smith in goal, her first appearance in a game since Sept.4, and Holland remained between the sticks for Kentucky.

The Hogs won the coin toss and elected to kick first, starting with 5th-year midfielder Zoe Susi. Susi, Nurse-Whyte and Gwin made the first three kicks and Bryant hit the crossbar on the fourth to put the Hogs down 3-4 after four rounds, with the Wildcats needing a make to advance. Field and freshman forward Ivy Harding, who scored the first-round winner over Florida on Tuesday, each made their kicks to send it to a sixth round. The Wildcats made their first four kicks before hitting the crossbar on the fifth and Jenkins’ save on the sixth.

The 5-4 win was Arkansas’ second penalty shootout win all-time. The first came against Memphis, 3-2, in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Up Next

5-seed Arkansas will face 9-seed Texas in the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m. on SEC Network. 2-seed South Carolina and 3-seed Alabama will face off on Thursday night in the second semifinal match.

For more information on Arkansas soccer, follow @RazorbackSoccer on social media.