@RazorbackSoccer Returns To Action Friday Against Rice

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas women’s soccer team will look to snap a two-game losing streak on Friday night (Sept. 12), when they host Rice in a non-conference contest. The match, slated to start at 7:05 p.m., is the first of a three-match homestand for the Razorbacks and will be featured on the SEC Network+.

UP NEXT
Following Friday’s matchup against Rice, the Razorbacks take on Missouri State (Sept. 14) in the second match of a three-match homestand. Arkansas closes out the homestand by opening SEC play with Kentucky on Sept. 19.

WITH A WIN
With a win or a tie against Rice on Friday night, the Razorbacks will snap their two-match losing streak and remain undefeated at home.

ARKANSAS/RICE SERIES
The Razorbacks and Owls will meet for the first time in program history.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT: RICE
A year ago Rice tied for 5th in the 16-team C-USA to qualify for the league's postseason tournament. In 2014, the Blue & Gray return nine of 11 starters from last season, including six of the team's top seven goal-scorers. The Owl tandem of Holly Hargreaves and Lauren Hughes shared the team lead with nine goals each and constantly put opponents under pressure by combining for 110 shots. Quinny Truong, who added five goals and four assists last season, enters her senior year having started all but one game in her tenure.

The Owls are coming off a 2-1 victory over Vanderbilt. Reigning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Jenny Fichera helped anchor a young Rice backline that limited SEC foe Vanderbilt to just four shots on goal in the 2-1 overtime victory on Friday (Sept. 5). With the Owls trailing in the final minute of regulation, Fichera played the direction of a deflection and finished past the keeper to send the match into overtime with her first collegiate goal.

Soon after Fichera tied the Vandy match, reigning C-USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week Nia Stallings scored the golden-goal just a minute into overtime to secure the 2-1 victory over the Commodores. In only 23 minutes of playing time Stallings shared the team-lead with three shots. Her strike was the first goal of her career.

LAST TIME OUT: vs. No. 12 UNC (Sept. 7)

• Junior Margaret Power tallied her first goal of the season as Arkansas fell to No. 12 UNC, 2-1, on day two of the Duke Nike Classic.
• Arkansas’ last victory over a ranked team came on Sept. 27, 2013 with a 3-0 win over No. 14 Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.
• Arkansas played its sixth match this season as a ranked team, which is the most consecutive games played as a ranked team in program history.
• Arkansas is 3-3-1 in neutral site matchups in three years under Hale.
• Arkansas’ last victory over a ranked team came on Sept. 27, 2013 with a 3-0 win over No. 14 Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.
• Sunday’s match against No. 12/14 North Carolina marked the first time since Sept. 27 & 29, 2012 that Arkansas has played back-to-back ranked opponents.

@RAZORBCKSOCCER TWEETABLES

• 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 2,956 followers.
• Arkansas is 27-20-3 in the Colby Hale era.
• With this weekend’s losses, Arkansas moved to 4-3-1 as a ranked team.
• The Razorbacks are 3-7-0 vs. Top 25 teams under head coach Colby Hale
• Arkansas is 3-3-1 in neutral site matchups in three years under Hale.
• Arkansas has played six matches this season as a ranked team, which is the most consecutive games played as a ranked team in program history.
• Arkansas’ last victory over a ranked team came on Sept. 27, 2013 with a 3-0 win over No. 14 Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.
• This past weekend’s matches against No. 19 Duke and No. 12/14 North Carolina marked the first time since Sept. 27 & 29, 2012 that Arkansas played back-to-back ranked opponents (at No. 14 Kentucky, at No. 20 South Carolina).
• Arkansas returns to Razorback Field this weekend where they are 100-86-14.
• Friday will feature a first-ever meeting between Arkansas and Rice, while Arkansas will look to improve on its 12-3-0 marks against regional rival Missouri State on Sunday.
• The Razorbacks are 16-7-1 in 24 home games under head coach Colby Hale.
• Arkansas broke the Razorback Field all-time attendance mark in its last home game, as 2,268 were in attendance against Oklahoma State (Aug. 24).
• Arkansas’ total attendance in two home games this year is 3,785.
• The Razorbacks are riding a three-game winning streak at Razorback Field. The last home loss for Arkansas came on Oct. 27, 2013 when they dropped a 1-0 decision to Georgia.
• SEC Stats | SEC Standings

NATIONAL POLLS

• The Razorbacks were ranked No. 20 in last week’s TopDrawerSoccer.com Division I Top 25 Poll (Sept. 1) and No. 18 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division I Poll that was released on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 2). After dropping a pair of matches to nationally-ranked opponents, Arkansas dropped out of the Top 25 in both polls, but were considered in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Poll and are receiving votes (30) in the NSCAA Poll.
  • 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

• Arkansas was also ranked No. 5 in this week’s NSCAA NCAA Division I - South Poll, behind Florida, Texas A&M, Auburn and South Carolina.
  • Click HERE to view this week’s NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division I - South Poll

NATIONAL RANKINGS (THRU GAMES 9.7.14)

• The Razorbacks are ranked in the top 100 in two categories:
  • Assists – 45th
  • Points – 90th

• ASHLEIGH ELLENWOOD and CAMERON CARTER are the lone Razorbacks ranked in the top 30 in an individual statistic
  • Ellenwood is ranked 20th in total assists (4).
  • Carter is ranked 27th in goalie minutes played (560:00).

@RazorbackSoccer Player Notes

• Junior ASHLEIGH ELLENWOOD tallied an assist in Arkansas’ 2-1 loss to No. 12 UNC (Sept. 7).
  • She has 22 goals of her career, which puts her two goals behind Heather Cato (1996-99) for sixth on Arkansas’ all-time goals list.
  • The assist on Sunday gave Ellenwood 56 for her career, moving her out of a sixth-place tie with Alexis Hyrup (1992-96) and into the fifth spot on Arkansas’ all-time points list.

• Sophomore CLAIRE KELLEY’s assist in the UNC loss, was her third of the season and the fifth of her career.
  • Kelley’s has a pair of goals and three assists on the season.
  • Kelley, who is second on the team with seven points, now has 13 career points.

• Senior KAYLYN COOPER and sophomore ERIKA MILLER were named to the 2014 Duke Nike Classic All-Tournament Team last weekend.
  • 2014 Duke Nike Classic All-Tournament Team
    Emily Hurd, Penn State
    Frannie Crouse, Penn State
    Toni Payne, Duke
    Kaylyn Cooper, Arkansas
    Salina Williford, Penn State
    Satara Murray, North Carolina
    Christina Gibbons, Duke
    Erika Miller, Arkansas
    Jessie Scarpa, North Carolina
    Summer Green, North Carolina
    Offensive MVP – Kelly Cobb, Duke
    Defensive MVP - Brooke Elby, North Carolina

@RAZORBACKSOCCER ALL-TIME RECORDS WATCH
Goals
1. 44, Julie Williford (2000-03)
2. 38, Ruthie Miller (1989-92)
3. 35, Mary Howard (1987-90)
4. 29, Christina Burger (2003-06)
5. 25, Brittany Burns (1995-98)
6. 24, Heather Cato (1996-99)
7. 22, ASHLEIGH ELLENWOOD (2012-present)
8. 20, Jessica Fraser (1997-98)

Assists
1. 26, Holly Collins (1997-01)
2. 17, Alexis Hyrup (1992-96)
3. 16, Abbey Wilburn (2005-08)
    16, Brittany Burns (1995-98)
    16, Honey Marsh (1991-94)
    16, Kit Carson (1990-93)
    16, Ruthie Miller (1989-92)
8. 15, Julie Williford (2000-03)
9. 14, Andie Hickman (1993-96)
10. 13, Nicole Bynum (1996-99)

Just out of the top 10:
12, ASHLEIGH ELLENWOOD (2012-present)
10, JERIANN OKORO (2011-present)

Points
1. 103, Julie Williford (2000-03)
2. 92, Ruthie Miller (1989-92)
3. 81, Mary Howard (1987-90)
4. 69, Christina Burger (2003-06)
5. 66, Brittany Burns (1995-98)
6. 56, ASHLEIGH ELLENWOOD (2012-present)

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Razorbacks are 100-86-14 all-time at Razorback Field. 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.

#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.

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.

For more information on Arkansas soccer, follow @RazorbackSoccer on Twitter.