FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 23 Arkansas women’s soccer team will kick off the 2014 season this weekend by host a pair of solid opponents. The Razorbacks will face Utah State on Friday (Aug. 22) at Razorback Field.
The match will be streamed on the SEC Network+, which can be viewed through the Watch ESPN App, as well as on ESPN3.com.
Match No. 1: No. 23 Arkansas (0-0-0) vs. Utah State (0-0-0)
Date/Time: Aug. 22, 2013 | 7:05 p.m. CT
Venue: Razorback Field (1,200) | Fayetteville, Ark.
Live Stats: ArkansasRazorbacks.com
Video Stream: SEC Network+
Talent: Alex Perlman (P-B-P), Rachael Caldwell (Analyst)
Series: Arkansas leads 1-0
SEASON OPENERS/HOME OPENERS
The Razorbacks are 16-11-1 all-time in season openers and own an 18-10 all-time record in home openers. Over the last seven seasons, Arkansas is 7-0 in home openers (dating back to 2007).
Season Opener (SO) Facts
- All-Time Season Opener Record: 16-11-1
- Arkansas has won the last seven season openers (2007-Present)
- Biggest Win Margin: 5, 6-1 vs. Texas Tech (Sept. 2, 2001)
- Biggest Loss Margin: 10, 10-0 vs. TCU (Sept. 14, 1986)
- SO Record At Razorback Field: 6-1
- Record in SO at Home: 8-2-0
- Record in SO on Road: 5-8-1
- Record in SO Neutral: 3-1
- Most goals scored in a season opener by Arkansas: 6 vs. Texas Tech (Sept. 2, 2001)
- Most combined goals: 10 vs. TCU (Sept. 14, 1986)
- Arkansas Shutouts: 9 (Most Recent: 2013, 1-0 W vs. Kansas)
- Arkansas has shut out five of its last seven opponents in season openers, outscored teams 11-2
- Total Arkansas Goals in Season Openers: 57
- Total Arkansas Goals Allowed in Season Openers: 54
- Arkansas Goals per Season Opener Average: 2.04
- Arkansas Goals Allowed per Season Opener Average: 1.93
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Razorbacks are 98-86-14 all-time at home. Under current head coach Colby Hale, Arkansas is 14-7-1 on its home pitch. Outscoring the opposition 21-13 with five shutouts, the Razorbacks finished the 2013 campaign with an 8-3 record on their home pitch.
#SCTop10
In Arkansas’ 2-1 exhibition win over Creighton on Aug. 14, Tyler Allen’s 40-yard free kick goal in the 65th minute proved to be the game-winner. After a Creighton foul, Allen stepped up for a Razorback free kick and delivered a perfectly struck ball 40-yards down field that landed in left-hand side of the goal to break a 1-1 deadlock. Allen’s goal helped Arkansas pick up a victory in a contest they statistically dominated.
Her incredible goal came in at No. 6 on the SportsCenter Top 10 that night.
NATIONAL PRESEASON POLLS
The Razorbacks were ranked No. 23 in the 2014 TopDrawerSoccer.com Preseason Poll that was announced on Monday, Aug. 11. The Razorbacks were one of four SEC squads ranked in the Top 25 along with No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 Florida and No. 9 South Carolina.
Arkansas, one of seven SEC programs to at least receive votes in the NSCAA preseason top 25 poll, will face four opponents ranked in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Preseason Poll in No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 Florida, No. 8 North Carolina and No. 12 Duke. The Gators and the Aggies will both battle the Razorbacks at Razorback Field this season.
PRESEASON SEC POLL
With 20 letterwinners, including eight starters, returning from last year’s NCAA Sweet Sixteen squad, the Arkansas women’s soccer team was tabbed eighth in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, announced by the league office on Monday, Aug. 11.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT: UTAH STATE
Last season, the Razorbacks edged the Aggies 3-2 in overtime at Chuck and Gloria Field in Logan, Utah. Rachel Riggs scored the final two goals of the match to give Arkansas the win. Last season was the first meeting between USU and Arkansas. The Aggies are 0-3-0 against the Southeastern Conference with losses to Kentucky and Auburn.
Utah State senior defender Taryn Rose was named College Sports Madness Mountain West Soccer Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. She was one of three Aggies to be honored along with senior defender Brooke Larsen-Leavitt and sophomore midfielder Jayne Robison.
Rose and Larsen-Leavitt, who both earned second-team all-Mountain West honors last season, were named to the first-team preseason all-conference squad. Robison was named to the second team.
Utah State returns 17 letterwinners and seven starters from last season’s squad that advanced to the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament with a 10-7-5 overall record and a 5-3-2 mark in its inaugural season in the league.
Robison is the leading offensive returner with two goals and a team-leading five assists. Rose and Larsen-Leavitt were the leaders of the Utah State defense that allowed only 21 goals in 22 matches. Rose was also fifth on the team in scoring with three goals for six points.
THE SEC NETWORK
Arkansas hosted the first live event to ever air on the new SEC Network. The Razorbacks hosted Creighton in an exhibition contest that was broadcast live on SEC Network+, the network’s digital platform that can be watched online at www.SECNetwork.com or via the WatchESPN app.
To watch the SEC Network+ games, users must have a cable provider that has the SEC Network and they will login in with their username and password provided by the cable company.
All but two home games will be available on SEC Network+. The meeting with Florida will be on the SEC Network (TV) and the contest against Texas A&M will not be on TV or online.
2013 #RAZORFACT TO REMEMBER
Arkansas’ record-setting 2013 started in style, as it opened with seven straight wins to find its way into the top 25 for the first time in program history. Over the opening seven games of last year, the Razorbacks out-scored their opponents 15-5 while coming away three overtime victories.
For more information on Arkansas soccer, follow @RazorbackSoccer on Twitter.