Texas Aggie soccer is finally back in action this week (fingers crossed) and we've got a BIG one! The Aggies are headed to Fayetteville for a Sunday match with the defending SEC Champion Arkansas Razorbacks. This will be a top 10 matchup as Arkansas carries a #9 ranking and the Aggies are #5 nationally. The match is set to kickoff at 2PM on Sunday and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.
Texas A&M is officially 8-3 all-time against Arkansas. Arkansas claims 3 additional victories which came against non-scholarship Aggie club teams (prior to 1993), including a 1986 forfeiture. Texas A&M is in the midst of their longest losing streak against Arkansas as they have dropped their last 2 matches against the Hogs. Last season, Arkansas won in College Station by a score of 3-1.
Arkansas has opened the 2020 season with a pair of multi-goal wins. They shutout LSU 2-0 in the opener and then travelled to Kentucky to post a 4-1 victory.
Forward Anna Podojil (#16) was SEC Freshman of the year and first team all-SEC last season and has already found herself receiving national honors in 2020. Podojil earned player of the week honors after tallying 2 goals and 2 assists last week in Arkansas' 4-1 outing at Kentucky. She leads the team in goals this year (2) after putting up a team high (14) in 2019. Anna's sister Ellie Podojil has also earned a starting spot in the midfield as a freshman.
In the midfield, Arkansas has another conference first teamer in senior Taylor Malham (#14). Malham balanced 8 goals and 9 assists last season for the Razorbacks. This year, her lone goal proved to be the gamewinner at Kentucky.
2019 SEC Defender of the year, Haley VanFossen (#99) anchors a stout backline that only gave up 11 goals last season. Arkansas has only allowed 7 shots on goal through their first 2 games. VanFossen also tallied an assist in the season opener against LSU.
Last season, goalkeepers Alexis Bach and Taylor Beitz saw very limited action behind starter Katie Lund. This year, the two have split time in the net. Redshirt senior Taylor Beitz has drawn the start in both matches and has accounted for 4 saves. Junior Alexis Bach has played the final 45 minutes of each game and allowed the lone goal on the season while totalling 2 saves.
Colby Hale was the 2019 SEC Coach of the year after leading the Razorbacks to their first-ever SEC Championship and a 8-1-1 record last season. Arkansas has seen the NCAA Tournament 6 times through Hale's 8 seasons with the team. Prior to his arrival in 2012, the Razorbacks had never played in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas A&M is officially 8-3 all-time against Arkansas. Arkansas claims 3 additional victories which came against non-scholarship Aggie club teams (prior to 1993), including a 1986 forfeiture. Texas A&M is in the midst of their longest losing streak against Arkansas as they have dropped their last 2 matches against the Hogs. Last season, Arkansas won in College Station by a score of 3-1.
Arkansas has opened the 2020 season with a pair of multi-goal wins. They shutout LSU 2-0 in the opener and then travelled to Kentucky to post a 4-1 victory.
Forward Anna Podojil (#16) was SEC Freshman of the year and first team all-SEC last season and has already found herself receiving national honors in 2020. Podojil earned player of the week honors after tallying 2 goals and 2 assists last week in Arkansas' 4-1 outing at Kentucky. She leads the team in goals this year (2) after putting up a team high (14) in 2019. Anna's sister Ellie Podojil has also earned a starting spot in the midfield as a freshman.
In the midfield, Arkansas has another conference first teamer in senior Taylor Malham (#14). Malham balanced 8 goals and 9 assists last season for the Razorbacks. This year, her lone goal proved to be the gamewinner at Kentucky.
2019 SEC Defender of the year, Haley VanFossen (#99) anchors a stout backline that only gave up 11 goals last season. Arkansas has only allowed 7 shots on goal through their first 2 games. VanFossen also tallied an assist in the season opener against LSU.
Last season, goalkeepers Alexis Bach and Taylor Beitz saw very limited action behind starter Katie Lund. This year, the two have split time in the net. Redshirt senior Taylor Beitz has drawn the start in both matches and has accounted for 4 saves. Junior Alexis Bach has played the final 45 minutes of each game and allowed the lone goal on the season while totalling 2 saves.
Colby Hale was the 2019 SEC Coach of the year after leading the Razorbacks to their first-ever SEC Championship and a 8-1-1 record last season. Arkansas has seen the NCAA Tournament 6 times through Hale's 8 seasons with the team. Prior to his arrival in 2012, the Razorbacks had never played in the NCAA Tournament.