AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 22 Arkansas women’s soccer team will open its first road trip of the 2014 campaign with a Friday night (Aug. 29) matchup against Texas. The match, which is slated to start at 7:30 p.m., will be shown on Longhorn Network TV and streamed through ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.
Match No. 3: No. 22 Arkansas (2-0-0) at Texas (1-0-1)
Date/Time: Aug. 29, 2014 | 7:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field (20,000) | Austin, Texas
Live Stats: TexasSports.com
Live Audio: TexasSports.com
TV/Video Stream: Longhorn Network, ESPN3.com, WatchESPN App
Talent: Glenn Davis (P-B-P), Monica Gonzalez (Analyst)
Series: Texas leads 3-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 at home
UP NEXT
Following Friday’s matchup at Texas, the Razorbacks will battle the Lady Jacks of Stephen F. Austin on Sunday, Aug. 31 (11 a.m.) at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field.
WITH A WIN
With a victory over Texas on Friday (Aug. 22), Arkansas will start a season 3-0 for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in program history.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT: TEXAS
Friday night will be the sixth meeting on the pitch between the Longhorns and the Razorbacks. UT holds a 3-1-1 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1994, including a 2-0 mark in games played in Austin. In the first meeting (Sept. 30, 1994), the two teams played to a 1-1 tie in Fayetteville. Texas then recorded a 3-0 home win on Sept. 2, 1995 and a 1-0 home victory on Sept. 3, 1999. The Horns also registered a 3-2 (ot) win in Fayetteville on Sept. 7, 2000. In the most recent meeting (Aug. 19, 2012), the Razorbacks posted a 1-0 victory at Razorback Field.
In two seasons under head coach Angela Kelly, the Longhorns have posted a 14-5-2 (.714) record in the friendly confines of Myers Stadium. Last year, UT recorded a 9-0-1 mark in home contests, including a 4-0 record in Big 12 games. The Horns carry a 10-match unbeaten streak in home games into Friday's home opener, as their last home loss came in a 1-0 overtime defeat to No. 19 West Virginia on Oct. 26, 2012.
In three seasons under Kelly, the Longhorns have posted a 17-1-3 mark when scoring the initial goal of the contest. UT went 10-0-1 last year when scoring first.
WHERE TO WATCH
Longhorn Network is available on AT&T U-verse TV, DISH, Time Warner Cable, Suddenlink, and Verizon FiOS TV, as well as Bay City CableVision, Cablevision, Charter Communications, Consolidated Communications, Cox Communications, En-Touch Systems, E-Tex Communications, Grande Communications, Google Fiber (in Kansas City), Mid-Coast CableVision and Texas Mid-Gulf CableVision.
Longhorn network INFORMATION (With channel listinGs)
Fans can also watch the Longhorn Network via ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app. Affiliated providers for authenticated access currently include AT&T U-verse, Charter, Consolidated Communications, Cox, DISH, Google Fiber, Grande Communications and Verizon FiOS. Fans will need to log into ESPN3 and WatchESPN with their provider log-in credentials to access the network on digital platforms in the home and on the go.
It is also available at no cost to U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
@RAZORBACKSOCCER TWEETABLES – OPENING WEEKEND (Aug. 22 & 24)
- With a social media push a week before to the season opener on Friday, Aug. 22, @RazorbackSoccer moved into the Top 25 for Division I women’s soccer Twitter accounts. Arkansas is now No. 23 with 2,810 followers.
- The Razorbacks were one of four SEC teams to win two games on opening weekend (Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M).
- Sunday night’s official attendance of 2,268 was the highest attended game in program history, breaking the previous attendance record of 1,709 set on Oct. 10, 2001 against South Carolina.
- With the 2,268 fan turnout on Sunday (Aug. 24) and the 1,517 official attendance on Friday night (Aug. 22), last weekend’s total attendance of 3,785 marked the biggest turnout in a two-game weekend stretch at Razorback Field.
- Sunday’s win gave Arkansas its third consecutive 2-0-0 start.
- With the win over the Cowgirls on Sunday, Arkansas improved to 3-1-0 all-time as a ranked team.
- Sunday’s win was the 100th win at Razorback Field, the overall record is now 100-86-14.
- Friday’s win over Utah State gives Arkansas a 17-11-1 all-time record in season openers.
- The win over Utah State on Friday gave Arkansas a 19-10-0 record in home openers.
- The Razorbacks have now won eight straight season openers (2007-present) after defeating Utah State on Friday night.
- The three goals scored vs. Utah State are the most by Arkansas in a season opener since 2005 (5 goals vs. Tulsa in 5-1 win on Aug. 26).
The Razorbacks were ranked No. 22 in this week’s TopDrawerSoccer.com Division I Top 25 Poll (Aug. 25) and No. 25 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division I Poll that was released on Wednesday (Aug. 26). The Razorbacks were one of four SEC squads ranked in the two polls (Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina).
- Click HERE to view this week’s NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division I Poll
- Click HERE to view this week’s TopDrawerSoccer.com Division I Top 25 Poll
Ashleigh Ellenwood was named to the College Soccer 360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll and the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women’s Team of the Week after helping lead the Razorbacks to a 2-0 record last week.
- Ellenwood’s game-winning goal on Sunday night marked the eighth of her career.
- Ellenwood’s goal against Oklahoma State was the 21st of her career.
- Sunday’s goal, accompanied with a pair of assists in Arkansas’ 3-1 win over Utah State on Friday night, gives Ellenwood four points in two games on the year.
- The two assists against the Aggies gave her the second career multi-assist game of her collegiate career. The first also came against Utah State in last season’s 3-2 win in Provo, Utah on Sept. 13. She now has 10 career assists.
- Ellenwood’s two assists against Utah State gave her 50 points for her career, making her just the 10th Razorback player in program history to reach that feat.
The Razorbacks have an 8-9-1 road record and a 2-2-0 neutral site record under head coach Colby Hale.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Razorbacks are 100-86-14 all-time at home. Under head coach Colby Hale, Arkansas is 16-7-1 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.
CAREER FIRSTS
ALEXANDRA FISCHER scored a pair of goals in the U of A’s season opener on Friday night (Aug. 22) against Utah State. The two goals were the first multi-goal game of her collegiate career. CLAIRE KELLEY collected the first multi-assist game of her career in the same contest, handing out her third and fourth career assists in the win.
In the 2-1 win over Oklahoma State (Aug. 24), SHELBY PAYNE registered her first assist and point as a Razorback.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Florida (8) – 164 points
2. Texas A&M (6) – 162 points
3. South Carolina – 136 points
4. Kentucky – 129 points
5. Tennessee – 125 points
6. LSU – 99 points
7. Georgia – 84 points
8. Arkansas – 77 points
9. Ole Miss – 71 points
9. Missouri – 71 points
11. Auburn – 66 points
12. Alabama – 51 points
13. Vanderbilt – 25 points
14. Mississippi State - 14 points
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.