FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 23 Arkansas women’s soccer team will closeout its season-opening, two-game homestand with a matchup against the Cowgirls of Oklahoma State on Sunday, Aug. 24 at 7:05 p.m.
The Razorbacks will be attempting to break Razorback Field attendance record on Sunday night, as they try to surpass the current mark of 1,709 set against South Carolina back on Oct. 12, 2001. The game will be featured on the SEC Network+, which will be available through ESPN3.com and the Watch ESPN app.
Sunday’s matchup against Oklahoma State will be a rematch of a 2013 NCAA Tournament first round contest, in which Arkansas defeated the Cowgirls 2-1 in Stillwater, Okla., to give the program its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
Match No. 2: No. 23 Arkansas (1-0-0) vs. Oklahoma State (0-1-0)
Date/Time: Aug. 24, 2014 | 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), Angela Taylor (Analyst)
Series: OSU leads 5-1-0
MARKETING PROMOTIONS
On Sunday night (Aug. 24), the Razorbacks will be looking for all of the fans to come out to Razorback Field as we look towards “Break the Attendance Record at Razorback Soccer Night.” The evening will feature several special promotions.
Throughout the evening and at halftime, the Razorback Marching Band, “The Best in Sight and Sound” will preview its 2014 musical selections for those in attendance.
The Arkansas Volleyball team will also be at the game providing fans the chance to meet the team and coaches.
Sunday’s student promotion will offer registered University of Arkansas students the chance to enter and win free textbooks for the semester up to $500.
WITH A WIN
With a victory over Oklahoma State on Sunday (Aug. 22), Arkansas will secure the program’s 100th win at Razorback Field and will start a season 2-0 for the third consecutive year and sixth time in program history.
@RAZORBACKSOCCER TWEETABLES - LAST TIME OUT VS. UTAH STATE (Aug. 22)
- The three goals scored on Friday night were the most by Arkansas in a season opener since 2005 (5 goals vs. Tulsa in 5-1 win on Aug. 26).
- Alexandra Fischer’s two goals were the first multi-goal game of her career, and were the fourth and fifth goals she has collected in 22 career games played.
- Claire Kelley collected her first multi-assist game of her career, handing out her third and fourth career assists.
- Ashleigh Ellenwood’s two assists gave her 50 points in her career, making her just the 10th Razorback player in program history to reach that feat.
- Ellenwood collected her second career multi-assist game. The first also came against Utah State in last year’s 3-2 win in Provo, Utah on Sept. 13. The two assists give her 10 in her career.
- Lindsay Mayo’s goal was the seventh of her career.
- Tyler Allen’s assist was the 12th of her career.
- Friday night’s official attendance of 1,517 was the third highest attended game in program history.
Following Sunday’s matchups with Oklahoma State, the Razorbacks will then have their first roadtrip of the 2014 season. Arkansas will head to Austin, Texas to battle the Longhorns of Texas (Aug. 29) and the Lady Jacks of Stephen F. Austin (Aug. 31).
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Razorbacks are 99-86-14 all-time at home. Under current head coach Colby Hale, Arkansas is 15-7-1 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.
SEASON OPENERS/HOME OPENERS
With their 3-1 win over Utah State on Friday night (Aug. 22), the Razorbacks are now 17-11-1 all-time in season openers and own a 19-10 all-time record in home openers. Over the last seven seasons, Arkansas is 8-0 in home openers (dating back to 2007).
Season Opener (SO) Facts
All-Time Season Opener Record: 17-11-1
Won last eight 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: 7-1
Record in SO at Home: 9-2-0
Record in SO on Road: 5-8-1
Record in SO Neutral: 3-1
Most goals scored in a season opener by Ark: 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 eight opponents in season openers, outscored teams 14-3
Total Arkansas Goals in Season Opener: 60
Total Arkansas Goals Allowed in Season Opener: 55
#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.
TOP 100 UPPERCLASSMEN
Junior Ashleigh Ellenwood was named among Top Drawer Soccer's women's National Top 100 Upperclassmen. Ellenwood clocked in at the No. 54 spot.
The Michigan City, Ind., native enters her junior season on the heels of an All-SEC second team choice. Ellenwood led the Razorbacks with 35 points on team-highs of 14 goals and 7 assists a year ago to help Arkansas win a program-best 15 games. Over the 24-game season, Ellenwood registered a point in 14 of those contests, highlighted by six game-winning goals which set a new program single-season record.
The junior has her sights set on adding her name to the Razorback record book this season, as she is just two points shy of becoming the 10th player in program history to collect 50 points. She already ranks seventh on Arkansas’ all-time goal list with 20, and is a two-time All-SEC second team selection.
DUO NAMED TO THE COLLEGE SPORTS MADNESS PRESEASON TEAM
Forward Ashleigh Ellenwood and defender Kaylyn Cooper were named to the College Sports Madness SEC Soccer Preseason All-Conference Teams.
Ellenwood, who earned All-SEC second team honors last season, was named to the first-team preseason all-conference squad. Cooper, an anchor of the Arkansas backline that registered five shutouts last season, earned a spot on the second team.
THE 2014 EDITION OF @RAZORBACKSOCCER
The Razorbacks are coming off a record-setting 2013 season that saw the team collect the most regular season wins in school history (15) and the programs first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. Arkansas will look to improve on those achievements this year as they enter one of the most anticipated seasons in program history.
Arkansas returns 20 players that accounted for 102 of the team’s 136 points from a team that went 15-8-1 and 5-6 in Southeastern Conference play. Of the 12 different players that scored a goal last year, eight return to make up 82 percent (36-of-44) of the goals.
Last season, forward Ashleigh Ellenwood, a 2013 All-SEC second team choice led the Razorbacks with 35 points on team-highs of 14 goals and 7 assists. Over the 24-game season, Ellenwood registered a point in 14 of those contests, highlighted by six game-winning goals which set a new program single-season record.
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: OKLAHOMA STATE
OSU has compiled a 219-123-41 record in its history of women’s soccer. Head coach Colin Carmichael is in his 10th season at the helm and owns a 136-43-28 record. The Cowgirls have earned a berth in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship in seven of the last nine years and have claimed Big 12 titles in four of the last six seasons.
OSU returns 10 of its 11 starters from 2013 as well as 18 of its 22 letterwinners. Leading the way for the Cowgirls are four players who have earned All-Big 12 honors in their careers — sophomores Natalie Calhoun and Courtney Dike and juniors Madison Mercado and Allie Stephenson.
The Cowgirls, who fell at Oklahoma (2-0) in their season opener on Aug. 22, will be without one of those returning starters in 2014, however, as goalie Michela Ongaro will miss the season due to a knee injury.
OSU finished the 2013 campaign with a 9-7-6 record, which included a seventh-place finish in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 2-3-3 mark. Following a run to the Big 12 Championship finals, where they lost to top-seeded West Virginia, 1-0, the Cowgirls were awarded a berth in the NCAA Soccer Championship, their seventh NCAA tourney berth in the last nine seasons. In the NCAA opening round, OSU fell to Arkansas, 2-1, on its home field to end the season.
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.
LOVE FROM TOPDRAWERSOCCER.COM
In TopDrawerSoccer.com’s SEC preseason preview, the outlet highlighted Arkansas.
Here’s what they had to say about head coach Colby Hale and his Razorbacks:
“It was a breakout campaign for head coach Colby Hale and the Razorbacks, winning the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament game, advancing all the way to the third round before bowing out to Duke on penalty kicks. Forward Ashleigh Ellenwood, whose play in 2013 helped her earn a call-up to a U.S. U23 WNT camp, looks to lead the program’s encore, as they continue to climb the regular season conference standings. In all, eight of the team’s starters from last year’s squad are back, including Jeriann Okoro, Tyler Allen and Claire Kelley.”
U-23 US NATIONAL TEAM CAMP
Ashleigh Ellenwood got an early jump on her preparation for the 2014 campaign when she participated in the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team Domestic Training Camp from July 15-22 in Seattle, Wash.
A total of 24 players that were either current collegiate athletes or just played their senior season last fall made up the roster that will be led by head coach Steve Swanson over the seven days.
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.