Arkansas faces alumni in spring finale

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas’ soccer team closes its spring exhibition season on Saturday with its annual match against Razorback alumni at noon at Razorback Field.

Head coach Erin Aubry’s club has played exhibition matches against Kansas, TCU, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Saturday’s match closes spring practice.

"Having the alumni back in Fayetteville is a special and invaluable experience for the program," Aubry says. "It not only provides a visual to our current players that someone else walked before them, but it also reminds them how big this family is."

Former Razorbacks playing this weekend include Whitney Allison, Allison Harris, Andrea Sparks, Carrie Dillsaver, Sarah Gwisdala, Abbey Wilburn, Morgan McCord, Audrey Stone, Jackie Booker, Holly Rosen, Lindsay Patterson, Jessica Ingram, Christian Burger, Megan Fawley, Katie Grigar, Julie Sill, Kim Schleif, Kat Moffett, Kathleen Paulsen and Sophie Wentz.

"I didn’t have the opportunity to coach most of these women coming back to campus on Saturday, but I do automatically feel a strong connection to them," Aubry says. "It will be wonderful to celebrate Hog Soccer with all of them."

Aubry is competing her second spring at Arkansas. The Razorbacks were 8-7-4 in her first season in the fall and have recorded consecutive winning seasons for the first time in program history.

Arkansas set records in 2009 with 10 shutouts, four Southeastern Conference shutouts and a 0.80 goals against average.

Top returnees include keeper Britni Williams, Arkansas’ all-time leader with 22 shutouts; forward Allie Chandler, who earned SEC All-Freshman honors; defender Kailey Anders, an SEC Player of the Week and Soccer America Women’s Team of the Week honoree; and forward Laurel Pastor, who was seventh in the SEC in shots (56) and ninth in shots per game (2.95).

Arkansas was third in the SEC last year in saves (105), third in shutouts (10), fourth in goals allowed (16), fourth in goals against average (0.80) and sixth in shots (309).