Razorbacks host Missouri State youth clinic Saturday

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After a two-game stretch on the road, the Arkansas soccer team will close out its spring exhibition season with an April 25 home matchup with Missouri State. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at Razorback Field. Following the contest, the team will host a free youth clinic for fans in attendance.“We are looking forward to one final team performance this Saturday against Missouri State,” head coach Erin Aubry said. “Our mentality is to take risks, be creative, and have tremendous courage on both sides of the ball. The team has embraced this philosophy whole-heartedly during the spring and is making unbelievable strides right now. I think it will be an exciting game of soccer.”Saturday’s contest with Missouri State is the finale of a four-match spring schedule that started with an Alumni Game. The Razorbacks spent the next two weekends traveling to take on the teams from the University of Oklahoma and University of Kansas.

Despite the graduation of five players from last year’s team, the Razorbacks will head into the 2009 season with 20 returners from last season, including 12 with experience as a starter. Arkansas will be led by its group of four soon-to-be seniors—Kat Moffett, Kathleen Paulsen, Kim Schlief and Sophie Wentz. Kelsey Allison and Laurel Pastor also joined the team as transfers and participated in spring drills.

“We have been stressing to the team that our mission is to be better today than we were yesterday,” Aubry said. “If we finish our game Saturday knowing we improved over the course of the spring season, we have succeeded in our mission.”

This spring represents the first for the team under the direction of the new coaching staff of Aubry and assistant coaches Christine Liberto and Tim Nowak. The youth clinic will begin at approximately 3 p.m. with instruction and drills led by the Razorback student-athletes and coaching staff.

“We are also very excited to host the community’s youth for our kids clinic,” Aubry said. “This will be a wonderful opportunity for our young women to be role models and educators. Our players are anxious to spend time with them on Saturday.”

For more information about Razorback soccer, including spring coverage and 2009 summer camp information, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.