Preserving Perfection At Home
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Perfection at Razorback Field was preserved Thursday night after No. 11 Arkansas ended Vanderbilt’s four-game win streak in a 4-0 shutout to complete its two-game homestand.
Senior midfielder Claire Kelley scored a pair of goals and tallied two assists to lift the Razorbacks to a program-best 13-1-0 overall record and a conference-leading 6-0-0 mark. The victory also was Arkansas’ third shutout of the year and seventh consecutive match they’ve allowed no more than one goal per contest dating back to Sept. 11.
The Razorbacks’ eight-game win streak also matched two important team records: Overall win streak (last set in 2008) and home win streak (last set Oct. 2000-Oct. 2001).
“We’ve talked about what the next level is for us. There were a few components today that I thought came through,” head coach Colby Hale said. “We talked about getting a greater impact from some players coming off the bench. They raised the level when they came in today. We also talked about closing out the game and we earned a shutout. We spoke about playing with great composure in certain areas and it was better today. Vanderbilt is a very good team, but today I thought we were able to impose our will. We will enjoy this and get ready for a very good South Carolina team on Sunday.”
Arkansas dominated the stat sheet, earning a 22-7 advantage in shots and an 8-1 edge in corners.
Senior midfielder Lindsey Mayo and junior defender Jessi Hartzler each earned their sixth goals of the season by scoring during the 32nd and 61st minutes of play, respectively. Senior goalkeeper Cameron Carter also improved to 13-1 on the year and is only one win away from tying her 14-win mark set during her freshman year.
Winning Thursday night against the Commodores sets up a pivotal showdown Sunday against the No. 4 Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina. This matchup will be the third top-five opponent Arkansas has faced this season. The game will also mark the first time the ranked Razorbacks will enter a match against another top-25 ranked team.
Arkansas defeated then-No. 2 and 2015 NCAA Championship runner-up Duke 2-1 at home on Aug. 26 and upset then-No. 4 Florida at Razorback Field on Sept. 16.
The match will be streamed live on SEC Network+ via the WatchESPN app at 1 p.m. CT.
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