MSU Ole Miss visit Razorback Field

FAYETTEVILLE — Following four straight Southeastern Conference road games, Arkansas’ soccer team is home for two straight this week against Mississippi State at 7 p.m. on Friday and No. 21 Ole Miss at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Arkansas is 1-0-2 in its last three games and 7-3-4 overall with a 1-3-2 SEC mark.

“Last weekend was a huge weekend for us,” head coach Erin Aubry says, referring to her team’s 2-0 win at Vanderbilt and 0-0, double-overtime tie at Kentucky. “Not just in terms of results, but after the Auburn and Alabama games, we were having confidence issues. One of our greatest accomplishments this year is we put together two solid games over the weekend.”

MSU is 8-4-2 overall and 0-4-2 in the conference. Ole Miss, ranked No. 21 in the Soccer America poll, enters the weekend 9-3-1 overall and 3-1-1 in the league.

The Razorbacks have recorded three straight shutouts, tying the school record for regular-season SEC shutouts in a season, and have a school record nine for the year.

“That’s a testament to our players and also to our style of play,” Aubry says. “(Keeper) Britni Williams is also a big part of that.”

Getting a 10th shutout this weekend may be difficult. Arkansas, MSU and Ole Miss are the top three teams in the league in shots.

The Bulldogs are first with 256 and 18.29 per game.

Ole Miss is second with 250 shots, first with 34 goals, first with 2.62 goals per game and second with 2.15 assists per game.

Arkansas is third with 233 shots and 16.64 per game.

“MSU and Ole Miss are both very, very good,” Aubry says. “Both are better than they were last year and Ole Miss has beaten ranked teams the last two weeks.”

While all three teams like to apply offensive pressure, they will have to do so against strong defenses.

Mississippi State is third in the league with 71 saves. Ole Miss is tied for third with just nine goals allowed on the season.

Arkansas is second in the SEC with eight goals allowed, second with a 0.54 goals against average, tied for third with 71 saves and second with nine shutouts. In conference play only, the Razorbacks are first with 45 saves and tied for second with three shutouts.

Individually for the Razorbacks, freshman Allie Chandler is fifth in the league with 46 shots, and Laurel Pastor and Ally Atkins are tied for eighth with four assists. Williams is second with a 0.56 goals against average, second with an .892 save percentage, third with 66 saves and second with eight shutouts.

Williams owns the school record with 21 career shutouts and she is second with 25 career victories.

Arkansas is 12-2-0 all-time against Mississippi State and 3-11-0 against Ole Miss. Last year, Arkansas won both games on the road, 2-0 at Ole Miss and 1-0 at MSU. In 2007, the last time the teams met in Fayetteville, Arkansas fell to Ole Miss, 2-1, and beat the Bulldogs, 1-0.