UA wins, takes SEC soccer title
FAYETTEVILLE — The 10th-ranked University of Arkansas women’s soccer team put its penchant for early goals aside and secured an outright SEC title Thursday with a game-winning goal in the 86th minute to defeat No. 21 Mississippi State 1-0 at Razorback Field.
Arkansas (12-3-2, 8-1-1 SEC) has scored within the first 15 minutes in seven matches this season, but drug the celebration to the near end against the Bulldogs on Senior Night.
With less than five minutes to go, two seniors connected for the Razorbacks. Emilee Hauser lofted a long cross into the box and Bea Franklin rose up to flick a header into the net.
Arkansas Coach Colby Hale said he never lost faith in his offense as it failed to put away a multitude of scoring chances.
“It just always felt like we were going to score,” Hale said.
Franklin capped a career-best regular season with her team-high seventh goal. She also has seven assists.
Her aerial presence has been a large part of the Razorbacks’ offense. Nine of her 14 career goals have come via headers.
“The team does a really good job of getting the ball in front of goal and sometimes I am just there to clean it up,” Franklin said.
Seven Razorbacks — Hauser, Kiley Dulaney, Ainsley Jeffrey, Ellie Podojil, Margot Reemtsen, Ava Tankersley, and Morgan White — were honored on the field during postgame festivities. Franklin and Anna Podojil, fifth-year seniors, were not involved due to celebrating a senior night last year.
“I felt like the night wasn’t about me enough because I wasn’t celebrated again as a graduate senior, so I decided to make sure there was a little bit of a spotlight on me,” Franklin joked.
Hale heaped praise on Arkansas’ fourth- and fifthyear seniors who aided the program to four SEC regular season titles in the last five seasons.
“Those kids are special people,” Hale said. “They worked their butts off and helped us build this program. It is just a revolving door of wonderful humans.”
Six of Arkansas’ nine seniors are eligible to return for a fifth season in 2024. Franklin, Anna Podojil, and White are the lone Razorbacks who have exhausted their eligibility.
Hale said he expects to have a majority of the senior class return, based on preliminary conversations.
“We haven’t had final discussions,” he said, “but we wanted them back and we feel good about it.”
The Razorbacks outshot the Bulldogs 17-8. Freshman goalkeeper Phoebe Carver played all 90 minutes and registered her fourth shutout.
Mississippi State (10-4-4, 5-3-2) lost for the first time since Sept. 24 at LSU. The Bulldogs entered Thursday on a six-game unbeaten streak that included two draws.
Arkansas clinched the top seed at the SEC Tournament that begins next week in Pensacola, Fla. The Razorbacks earned a bye in the first round and will play Tuesday against the winner of a game between Auburn and Tennessee.