Midweek game takes Razorbacks to No. 7 Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After ending a four-game home stand last weekend with two wins, Arkansas (11-5-0, 4-4-0) will face No. 7 Florida in a Thursday matchup at James G. Pressley Stadium. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. The Razorbacks will be looking to do something for the first time in program history: beat the Gators. Florida leads the all-time series with UA, 12-0-0.In last season’s meeting, Florida traveled to Fayetteville and left with a 1-0 victory. Then-freshman goalkeeper Britni Williams allowed one goal, but made nine saves to keep Arkansas in the game. Despite Florida’s control of the all-time series, the past five games between the two teams have been decided by one goal, including Arkansas’ 1-0 loss in double overtime during its last visit to Gainesville in 2006.The Razorbacks, currently in eighth position in the SEC standings, are led, offensively, by Lindsay Patterson. The senior forward has tallied a career-high 15 points this season and is currently tied for ninth place on Arkansas’ all-time goals scored list with 17. Senior midfielder Abbey Wilburn, with an assist in Arkansas’ 2-1 win over Vanderbilt, moved into a tie for third place on the program’s all-time assist list. In goal for the Razorbacks, Williams carries a 0.95 goals against average, the third-best mark in the conference.Florida (13-2-1, 8-0-0), riding a nine-game winning streak, sit atop the SEC Eastern Division. The Gators defeated Alabama, 6-1, in its last outing. Senior forward Megan Kerns turned in a hat trick and is the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week.

The Gators are led by Kerns, the SEC’s third-leading scorer. Kerns has 24 points (9 g, 6 a) this season and is one of five Gators—Kerns, Ameera Abdullah (18), Tahnai Annis (16), Lindsay Patterson (15) and Angela Napolitano (11)—with double-digit point totals. In goal, Megan Berlingo and Katie Fraine have each appeared in nine games this season. Berlingo carries a 0.50 goals against average with three shutouts, while Fraine has a 1.30 goals against average and one shutout.Florida returns five starters from last year’s team, including three All-SEC performers. Midfielder Ashlee Elliott and defender Lauren Hyde were first-team members, while Abdullah received second-team honors.Along with the usual radio coverage, the Arkansas-Florida game will be televised by Sun Sports. This marks the second television game of the season for the Razorbacks. For live stats and continued coverage of UA soccer, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.