Soccer opens at home against LSU
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Soccer starts the 2020 fall campaign with a home opener against the LSU Tigers at Razorback Field on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 3:00 p.m. CT. The Razorbacks are coming off their first SEC regular season title in school history after matching a program record with eight conference wins. Arkansas also earned the program’s first national seed at the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round for the third time in four years.
Match 1 Info
Opponent: LSU Tigers (3-12-3, 1-7-2 in 2019)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
First Kick: 3:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: bit.ly/ArkvLSU
Live Stream: es.pn/2HbSyBh
Television: SEC Network
Scouting the Tigers
LSU will be led this season by returning All-SEC performers in senior defender Chiara Ritchie-Williams and sophomore midfielder Maddie Moreau. Ritchie-Williams was named to the 2017 All-SEC Second Team and played full minutes in 14 of the Tigers’ 18 matches last season. Moreau was the lone Tiger to be honored in the 2019 SEC Postseason Awards, being named Second Team All-SEC and to the All-Freshman Team.
The Tigers finished in last place in the West Division last season and missed an invite to the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala.
Attendance at Razorback Field this fall will be limited to season ticket holders, those on player pass lists and a limited number of University of Arkansas students. All tickets for the 2020 soccer season will be mobile. Season tickets to Arkansas’ four home matches are sold out, but all eight matches this season will be televised or streamed.
Fans are reminded that masks are always required at Razorback Field. For additional information fans can head to the 2020 Razorback Soccer fan guide.
Quick Kicks
>> The Razorbacks are 9-14-3 all-time against LSU and 5-6-0 when playing in Fayetteville. However, Arkansas has won four of the last five meetings since 2016.
>> Arkansas won last year’s matchup in Baton Rouge, 4-0. It was the largest margin of victory against LSU since 1997.
>> The Razorbacks were picked by the SEC coaches to finish at the No. 1 spot in the preseason coaches’ poll released on Wednesday, Sept. 16 after winning their first regular season conference title in 2019.
>> Arkansas welcomed 15 newcomers to the 2020 squad, including three transfers. Ellie Podojil, Ainsley Jeffrey, McKenna Saul and Darby Douglas all joined the team in the spring.
>> The Razorbacks have won seven out of eight season openers under Coach Hale.
>> Arkansas holds a .905 winning percentage at Razorback Field the past two seasons with an 18-1-2 record.
>> The Razorbacks are returning 71 percent of goals scored after leading the SEC last season in total goals, assists and points.
>> The Hogs are coming off their fourth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament 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.
>> Parker 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.
