No. 13 Soccer travels to Kentucky for first road test
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 13 Razorback Soccer (1-0) travels to Lexington, Ky. to face the Kentucky Wildcats (0-1) in Arkansas’ first road match of the 2020 season. First kick at Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex is set for 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 27. The Razorbacks are 7-0-1 in their last eight regular season SEC matches dating back to a 3-0 win over Ole Miss on Oct. 3, 2019.
Match 2 Info
Opponent: Kentucky Wildcats (0-1)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 27
First Kick: 5 p.m. CT
Live Stats: bit.ly/3cqEfUR
Live Stream: es.pn/3iW7mSo
Last Time Out
The Razorbacks opened the 2020 campaign with a 2-0 shutout over LSU on Sat., Sept. 19 at Razorback Field. Reagan Swindall and Parker Goins scored the Razorbacks’ two goals to give Arkansas its fifth win in the past six meetings over the Tigers. The Razorbacks outshot LSU 20-11 on the game.
Scouting the Wildcats
Kentucky dropped its season-opener on the road to defending SEC East winners, the Vanderbilt Commodores, 3-2. The Wildcats put away two first half goals, but Vanderbilt responded with three of their own in the final 40 minutes, culminating with 2019 Second Team All-SEC performer Haley Hopkins netting her second goal of the day in the 78th-minute for the game-winner.
The Wildcats returned 88 percent of goals scored from 2019, including 34 points from the sophomore duo of Hannah Richardson and Jordyn Rhodes. Rhodes scored both of the Wildcats’ goals in the first half against Vanderbilt.
In goal, Notre Dame transfer Brooke Littman made the start and played all 90 minutes for UK in the season-opener. Littman got the starting nod 33 times for the Fighting Irish from 2017-19, which included six shutouts and seven wins, both career-bests, in her final season with Notre Dame.
Ticket Information
Attendance at Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex will be limited on Sunday to those only on player pass lists.
Quick Kicks
>> The Razorbacks are 9-13-2 all-time against the Wildcats but won the latest matchup in 2018, 4-0. It was the largest margin of victory for either squad in series history.
>> The Razorbacks are 2-1 in their last three trips to Lexington, including a 2-0 win in 2017.
>> Arkansas was tabbed at No. 13 in the first United Soccer Coaches poll that was released on Sept. 22. The Razorbacks were ranked inside the top-16 for the final 10 polls released in 2019, reaching as high as No. 6 from Oct. 22nd – November 5th.
>> After being picked by SEC coaches to win the regular season conference title, the Razorbacks sit atop the SEC West with No. 5 Texas A&M following the first week of competition.
>> Arkansas’ shutout against LSU was just one of three during the SEC opening weekend. The Razorbacks are coming off a season in which the Arkansas defense was second in the conference in goals-against-average (.466) and shutout percentage (.565).
>> Goins continued her scoring ways from 2019, notching her first goal of the season in the 56th-minute against LSU. The senior was second on the squad last season with 10 goals in her first season back since a season-ending injury in 2018.
>> The Hogs are coming off their fourth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and made it to the second round for the third time in four years.
>> Arkansas raked in SEC postseason awards in 2019 with head coach Colby Hale taking SEC Coach of the Year, senior Haley VanFossen winning SEC Defender of the Year and Anna Podojil being named SEC Freshman of the Year. All three were program firsts.
>> Goins and Taylor Malham joined Podojil and VanFossen on the All-SEC First Team. It was just the second time in school history that Arkansas put four on the first team in one season.
