Soccer Set For Exhibition Match With Kansas State
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Saturday will mark just the fourth day of the 2018 preseason for the Razorback soccer team, but it will get a chance to play outside competition right away when it hosts Big 12 foe Kansas State for its first of two exhibitions this year.
Kickoff against the Wildcats is slated for 6:30 p.m. (CT) at Razorback Field and admission is free.
Matchday Info
Opponent: Kansas State
Date: Saturday, Aug. 4
First kick: 6:30 p.m.
Live Stats: Click Here
TV: None
Tickets: FREE ADMISSION
Arkansas, coming off an 11-win season in 2017, is hoping to continue the success it has seen under head coach Colby Hale, who enters his seventh year with the program. Last year, the Razorbacks reached their fourth NCAA Tournament in five years and also played in its second-straight SEC Tournament final.
The Razorbacks return quite the lineup with a good mixture of prolific goal scorers, as well as players with numerous minutes on the back line that will help shore up a defense that totaled 10 shutouts a year ago. The 10 clean sheets tied a school record and nine of last year’s 11 victories came by way of the shutout.
Sophomores Parker Goins and Taylor Malham are back as Arkansas’ leading scorers. Goins led all Razorbacks with nine goals, while Malham added six scores and two assists for 14 points. Arkansas also returns big point scorers in juniors Stefani Doyle (16) and Kayla McKeon (13), both who turned in a multi-goal game last year.
On the defensive end, the Razorbacks will be led by seniors Carly Hoke, Reece Christopherson, junior Tori Cannata and sophomore Haley VanFossen. In nine of Arkansas’ shutouts last year, the defense held opponents to 17 shots or less and a .338 shot on goal percentage.
First Touches
>> Saturday’s match will be the first of two exhibitions for the Razorbacks this year. Next week, they will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a friendly on Aug. 9.
>> Arkansas is coming off its third season of 10 or more wins since 2012, all under head coach Colby Hale.
>> Last year marked the first time in program history that Arkansas has tallied consecutive 10-win seasons.
>> Kansas State’s soccer program is still very young in its existence. Its’ first official season was in 2016 and first year in the Big 12 was 2017.
>> Arkansas has come out a winner in three of its last four exhibition matches, including a 3-0 win over Omaha last year.
>> This year’s sophomore class accounted for 22 of Arkansas’ 44 goals last year, which was second-most among all first-year players in the SEC.
>> The returning quartet of juniors Kayla McKeon and Stefani Doyle, along with sophomores Taylor Malham and Parker Goins, accounted for 24 goals a year ago and 20 assists, good for nearly half of the team’s output.
>> Parker Goins led all Razorbacks in five of six main scoring categories including: points (52), goals (9), assists (7), shots on goal (27), shots (52), and game-winners (4).
>> Goins was one of two Razorbacks named to all-conference teams last year as she was named to the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team.
>> Of Arkansas’ 11 wins last year, nine came by way of the shutout and all 13 points in conference play were by shutout also. Arkansas also earned a point on a scoreless tie with Vanderbilt, giving it 10 clean sheets for the season, tying for the most in school history (2009).
>> In nine of those shutouts, the Razorback defense held opponents to 17 shots or less and a .338 shot on goal percentage.
>> Since Colby Hale became the head coach in 2013, Arkansas has only missed the NCAA Tournament one time.
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