Soccer moves to 3-1 with win over Austin Peay

FAYETTEVILLE – Sophomore Kathleen Paulsen scored the first of two University of Arkansas Lady Razorback soccer team goals on Friday night as the Lady’Backs defeated Austin Peay at Lady’Back Field, 2-0.

The win improves the Lady Razorbacks to 3-1-0 on the year and 2-1-0 at Lady’Back Field. Austin Peay falls to 0-3-0.

“This was our fourth of five games over a 10-day period and I thought that you saw some of the cumulative effects of that tonight,” Arkansas head coach Gordon Henderson said. “We had to play in tough conditions on Wednesday and tonight those conditions were not ideal, but the field was very good. I would have liked to have seen us get another goal in the first half to really put some pressure on our opponent. We had some great opportunities, but were not able to finish them. Now we have another quick turnaround and have to get mentally prepared for that.”

It took some time for both sides to get acclimated to the wet conditions of Lady’Back Field. Rain pounded the Fayetteville area throughout the day, but the field help up well despite the precipitation. Once Arkansas was able to get used to the conditions, the game went in its favor quickly. A 0-0 contest through the opening 34 minutes, Paulsen put in the game’s first score at 34:58 when she hit a low liner from 16 yards that found its way past the Austin Peay keeper. A play that was set up from the right side of the Arkansas attach, Paulsen was the recipient of two fantastic passes from freshman Camille Flores and senior Allison Harris who were each credited with assists.

A 1-0 game at the break, the action got sloppy in the second 45 minutes as the teams made sure that the pro-Arkansas crowd knew that the game was a contact sport. In the 73rd minute, Austin Peay’s leading scorer Ashley Beck was issued a second yellow card which sent her off the pitch and five yellows were issued in total, two to Arkansas and three to the Lady Govs.

Just prior to the red card, Arkansas made it a two-goal advantage when Kelly O’Connor scored her third of the season. Getting a feed from the midfield, O’Connor touched the ball around a defender and sent a shot from the top of the penalty area into the side netting for an unassisted goal.

The Lady Razorback defense continues to play well for Arkansas as it posted its third shutout in four games against Austin Peay. Freshman goalkeeper Britni Williams was only asked to make one save in the match on a shot that was taken from well outside the penalty area. As a team, Arkansas held the Lady Govs to just four shots total, with just one coming in the second half. The Arkansas shut out dropped its team goals against average to 0.48, one of the best in the Southeastern Conference.

The Lady Razorbacks head to the road for a Sunday afternoon match with Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich. For more information about Lady Razorback soccer or about Arkansas women’s athletics, please go to www.ladybacks.com.