Patterson's career night lifts Lady'Backs

ATHENS, Ga. – Sophomore Lindsay Patterson scored a pair of outstanding goals to lead the University of Arkansas Lady Razorback soccer team to a huge 2-1 Southeastern Conference win against the University of Georgia in Athens on Friday night.

Arkansas’ win moves it to 9-3-0 on the season and 2-2-0 in SEC play while Georgia slips to 6-6-0 overall and 1-4-0 in conference action.

“Obviously I am very pleased with the win,” Arkansas head coach Gordon Henderson said. “This was a definite case of bend and don’t break. Georgia is a very good side and well balanced. We did a good job of scoring the first goal and forcing Georgia to come back at us. That was a huge win for us and maybe the best win in many years.”

For the Lady Razorbacks, it was the Patterson show as she connected on a pair of goals that were of a different class. The career night for the Lewisville, Texas, native began in the ninth minute of action when a ball that was sent to the top of the 18-yard box by senior Kate Venable was hit by Patterson in mid stride and four feet off the ground. Her volley was lofted over the Georgia goalkeeper who got her fingertips on the ball, but was unable to keep the ball out of the net.

The goal by Patterson was her third of the season and put the Lady Razorbacks ahead of their opponent for the 10th time in 11 matches this season.

Georgia would tie the match in the waning moments of the second half as they threw numbers forward. Georgia’s Cortni Joyner put forth a tremendous individual effort for the score, beating a trio of Lady Razorback defenders and then tucking a shot into the far corner of the net for the equalizer at 82:18.

Rather than let the score knock Arkansas on its heels, the Lady’Backs came storming back and let Patterson work her magic in Athens. An Arkansas push down the right side let Abbey Wilburn send a centering pass to Patterson at the top of the 18 where she shook a defender a knocked a shot to the near post that beat the Georgia keeper to her low left side eliciting a Hog Call in Athens by the few Lady Razorback parents in attendance.

The Lady Razorback victory was its first back-to-back conference wins on the road since last season when the Lady’Backs defeated South Carolina and Alabama. The Arkansas win against Georgia is its first against the Bulldogs since the 1996 season when the Lady’Backs picked up a 3-1 win at the SEC Tournament in Lexington, Ky.

The Lady Razorbacks are back in action on Sunday afternoon when they travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the Tennessee Lady Vols. For more information about Lady Razorback soccer or about Arkansas women’s athletics, please go to LADYBACKS.COM.