Soccer Fact Sheet #5

A Weekend Sweep: It took extra time, but the Lady Razorbacks picked up a weekend sweep at the expense of Louisiana Tech and Centenary College. Arkansas decimated Louisiana Tech in Ruston by a score of 6-0, then needed overtime to dispose of Centenary, 1-0.
Second Two-Game Streak: Arkansas’ pair of wins on the weekend is its second two-game winning streak of the season. The first came at Oral Roberts and home against Austin Peay.
Shutout Equals Win: The Lady Razorbacks have five shutouts this season and coincidentally, five wins. Obviously, the key to winning is to keep the opponent off the scoreboard and Arkansas is doing it at a stellar pace this fall.
Seeking the School Record: The Lady Razorbacks are chasing the school record of eight shutouts in a single season which it has set two times. The first in 1991 and the most recent, 1996.
Williams Named Freshman of the Week: Britni Williams was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week based on her performances against Louisiana Tech and Centenary. Over the weekend she made six saves against 16 shots and did not allow a goal as she claimed her fourth shutout of the season.
Only the Second: Britni Williams is just the second Lady Razorback to earn a Freshman of the Week honor. Abbey Wilburn was the first back in October of 2005.
Chasing the Freshman Records: While it may not be a conscious thought on her part, it is on ours. At Britni Williams’ current pace she could break several Arkansas records for freshmen goalkeepers this fall. In fact, Williams is already close to breaking the one for shutouts which stands at 4.5 by Megan Bals in 1999.
A Lady Razorback First: In what is quickly becoming a season of firsts for the Lady Razorbacks, Britni Williams made her mark on Lady Razorback history on Friday, August 31. In that contest she became the first Lady Razorback true freshman goalkeeper to post a shutout in her first collegiate match. That accomplishment encompasses 22 years of Lady Razorback soccer history.
Paulsen Nets the Game Winner: Sophomore Kathleen Paulsen scored Arkansas’ lone goal in its 1-0 overtime victory over Centenary on Sunday afternoon. She took a throw in from Lindsay Patterson deep in the Centenary end and played the ball across her body with her left foot, then turned and fired with the same foot and sent a scorching ball into the side netting.
Huge Scores: Coming into the 2007 season, Kathleen Paulsen had scored one goal. So far this year, she has already netted two and each has been a game winner. Her first score came against Austin Peay, a tally that would eventually win that contest, then her second against Centenary.
Sunday Sensation: Perhaps it’s the daylight hours that has her at her best, but we should mention that Kathleen Paulsen has two scores, two game-winning goals in fact, and both came on Sunday afternoon.
Missouri State: The Missouri State Bears enter Friday night’s contest with a solid 4-2-0 record and are coming off a great game against Murray State where it won 4-0. Opening the season with three straight wins, the Bears then dropped two in a row before the Murray State victory.
Common Opponent: We should point out that Arkansas and Missouri State have one common opponent so far this season, Western Michigan. The Bears opened the season with a 2-0 victory at home against the Broncos while the Lady’Backs dropped a 1-0 game in Kalamazoo.
Leading Scorers: Two Missouri State players have multiple goals this season led by Jenna Laughlin who has three scores and six points including two game winners. Joining her with multiple tallies is Caroline Sweeney with two scores.
The All-Time Series: Arkansas and Missouri State have met eight times over the years and the Lady Razorbacks have had good success against the border rival. The Lady’Backs are 6-2-0 against the Bears, but dropped the 2006 meeting in Springfield.
Jacksonville State: Jacksonville State is struggling this year as they enter the weekend with a record of 1-5-0. Losing their first two matches, the Gamecocks defeated Youngstown State at home before dropping their last three games.
A Familiar Face: There will be a familiar face prowling the sidelines of Lady’Back Field on Sunday afternoon as former Lady Razorback assistant coach Julie Davis makes a return trip to Fayetteville as the head coach of Jacksonville St. Davis spent three seasons in Fayetteville with Alan Kirkup before leaving for the head coaching job at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI).
First Time: Arkansas and Jacksonville State are meeting for the first time in the program’s history.
Defensive Woes: Jacksonville State’s toughest problem this fall appears to be keeping opponents off the scoreboard. In six games the Gamecocks have surrendered 11 goals between two different goalkeepers.
Returning to Fayetteville: The Lady Razorbacks return to Fayetteville following a three-game road stretch where it went 2-1-0. The next three weekends are going to be massive in terms of Arkansas’ final record this fall as it closes non-conference play this weekend, then opens SEC action with four home matches.
The SEC Standings: With its 5-2-0 record, the Lady Razorbacks hold one of the best records in the Southeastern Conference. Ranked second in the western division and sixth overall if you go by winning percentage, Arkansas is on pace to shake up the SEC preseason rankings.
Leading Scorer: Getting her Lady Razorback career off to a great start has been Kelly O’Connor who leads Arkansas in scoring. Hitting Arkansas’ first goal of the season, she has gone on to score four times in total and also has an assist for nine points.
Home, Sweet, Home: One of the charms about Kelly O’Connor is that she is a local product. A native of nearby Bentonville, Ark., O’Connor had opportunities to play in other places but chose to stay close to home.
Game Winner: Along with the season’s first goal, Kelly O’Connor also recorded Arkansas’ first game winner with her strike against Tulsa.
Getting Ahead: The Lady Razorbacks have done a fantastic job of getting ahead of their opponents this fall. In seven matches, Arkansas has scored the first goal six times and didn’t score in the seventh. The result is a 5-2 record and constant pressure on the opposition to play from behind.
A Lady Razorback Record: It took just 20 seconds for the Lady Razorbacks to get on the scoreboard against Oral Roberts and the quick tally was an Arkansas record for a first goal. Junior Abbey Wilburn nailed a shot from just outside the penalty area that skimmed off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal to give Arkansas a lead and set the record. Prior to WIlburn’s score, the fastest Lady Razorback goal had been 1:00 set by Jessica Fraser back in 1997 against Mississippi State.
Weekend Broadcasts: This weekend the Lady Razorbacks are on the internet at LADYBACKS.com with both audio and video broadcasts. The Lady’Backs also air on the radio at ESPN Deportes (1580 AM) on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 23.
SEC All-Freshman Team: Sophomore Kim Schleif made University of Arkansas Lady Razorback history last fall when she became Arkansas’ first SEC all-Freshman team member. Playing the majority of her time at outside midfield, Schleif scored three goals and added an assist in 19 matches, 12 of which she started.
Proving Herself: Kim Schleif may be the most decorated returning Lady Razorback with her all-freshman team honors, but that didn’t stop her from training hard over the off season. In her first game back, Schleif assisted on the Lady Razorbacks first goal of the season with a nice cross into the mixer from the left side which led to Kelly O’Connor’s goal.
Perfect: Senior Allison Harris may not be the perfect player on the soccer field, but she certainly has those capabilities in the classroom. Harris is your ideal student-athlete. She has started all 59 games of her career over four years and maintains a perfect 4.0 grade point average in psychology.
A Soccer First: To the best of anyone at the University’s knowledge, Allison Harris is the first Lady Razorback soccer player to maintain a perfect 4.0 grade point average for eight semesters. That number could become nine after this fall.
Academic Honors: Last fall Allison Harris became just the second Lady Razorback soccer player to be named ESPN The Magazine Academic all-American when she was voted to the third team. A three-time first-team all-district award winner, Harris has also been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times and the UA Academic Champions list eight times.
Patterson Nets Two: Lindsay Patterson nearly made Lady Razorback history last Friday night when she scored two goals against Louisiana Tech, in the first half. She had the potential to become just the 12th Lady Razorback to accomplish the task in Arkansas’ history, but sat the entire second half of the contest to be better prepared for Sunday’s game.
Here She Comes: Watch out, but Lindsay Patterson’s two-goal effort against Louisiana Tech gives her three goals and an assist on the season. She is currently second on the team in scoring after returning as Arkansas’ top scorer from a year ago.
Eight Career Tallies: Lindsay Patterson is quickly becoming a strong offensive weapon for the Lady Razorbacks and her eight career goals make the case. She had none as a freshman, and then scored five last season. Combining her three from this year and Patterson has an outside chance to crack into Arkansas’ all-time top 10 list for goals this season, but should be well entrenched by the end of her senior year.
Strong in the Back: Of Arkansas’ returning six, three are defenders which should give the Lady Razorbacks strength in the back line. That group will be key to Arkansas’ success this fall as they start a new goalkeeper.
On the Scoreboard: Sophomore Rachel Smith made personal history last Sunday afternoon against Memphis when she scored the first goal of her collegiate career. Striking a 22-yard shot through the hands of the Memphis goalkeeper and into the side netting, Smith had played more than 1,700 minutes over two seasons before the score.
Number Change: Last season Rachel Smith patrolled the field wearing number 21. This season, the starting sophomore outside defender dons the number 2. After the departure of former Lady’Back Devon Burger to graduation, Smith chose to wear that number.