Hogs Beat No. 19 Texas, 3-1, in SEC Opener

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas soccer (3-3-1, 1-0-0 SEC) opened SEC play with a dominant 3-1 win over No. 19 Texas (5-2-1, 0-1-0 SEC) on Thursday night at Razorback Field.

The win extended the Hogs’ unbeaten streak against the SEC at home to 27 matches, which dates back to October 16, 2020.

How it Happened

The Razorbacks set the tone early with the opening goal in the first 10 minutes, a pass back from forward Lauren Van Rhein to forward Bella Field at the penalty spot. Field took a sliding shot that hit the crossbar after a save attempt from Longhorn goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn.  The ball hit the underside of the bar and landed inside the goal behind Flynn.

Fifth-year midfielder Zoe Susi doubled the lead in the 21st minute when she won a goal kick in midfield and passed it to midfielder Kennedy Ball, who gave it right back to Susi after she slipped through four Texas defenders.

Susi pulled Flynn off her line and fired right down the middle from the penalty spot.

Arkansas continued its onslaught in the 34th minute. Sophomore midfielder Natalie Wagner flipped the field with a long pass into the Hogs’ front line. After a touch from a Texas defender, a wide-open Ball took possession just outside the top of the 18-yard box and chipped an unsavable shot over Flynn for her second goal of the year.

The Razorbacks edged the Longhorns in shots, 10-8, and Smith had four saves at halftime.

Texas was the aggressor after halftime and scored through Ava McDonald in the 55th minute. The visitors outshot Arkansas, 13-6, and forced four more saves from Smith in the second half.

Kyndal Ewertz and Sabrina Jones, tasked with defensive roles on Thursday night, blew up several Texas attacks inside the 18-yard box.

Sophomore forward Vailana Tu’ua tried to find a fourth for the Hogs with four shots in the second half.

Game Notes

• Zoe Susi leads the team with four goals.
• Kennedy Ball added her team-leading fourth assist.
• This is Arkansas’ first ranked win of the season.
• Arkansas improved to 25-0-2 against the SEC at Razorback Field since 2020.
• The Hogs have beaten Texas in both regular-season meetings since the Longhorns joined the SEC in 2024. The first win came in 2024 in Austin, 4-3.

Up Next

Arkansas continues league play next Friday, September 18, at No. 11 Alabama.

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