K-State exhibition up first for Razorbacks

Arkansas soccer coach Colby Hale speaks Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, to members of his team at Razorback Field in Fayetteville.

— The University of Arkansas' first sporting event of the new athletic year will be played Saturday night at Razorback Field.

Arkansas soccer will host Kansas State in an exhibition match at 6:30 p.m. that is free to the public. It is the first of two exhibitions this month for the Razorbacks, who will travel to Nebraska on Aug. 9.

Arkansas returns several of the top contributors from last season's team that was 11-11-2 overall, finished runner-up at the SEC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.

"The good news is we have a very veteran group," seventh-year coach Colby Hale said. "There will be a handful of freshmen who will compete to start, but we could easily start 11 returning players."

The Razorbacks return 77 percent of their goal scoring from a year ago, and 93 percent of their assists. Sophomore Rachel Harris, who started seven games as the team's No. 2 goal keeper a year ago, also returns, but is in a position battle this preseason.

Other notable returning players are sophomore forward Parker Goins (9 goals, 7 assists in 2017), sophomore midfielder Taylor Malham (6 goals, 2 assists), junior midfielder Stefani Doyle (5 goals, 6 assists) and junior midfielder Kayla McKeon (4 goals, 5 assists).

Arkansas has 10 freshmen and three transfers who will be immediately eligible, including junior defender Madison Louk, who started 12 games in two seasons at Miami.

"We're going to be like a young team, but with the talent we have coming in I think we're going to be able to put the ball on the ground more and be able to play with it," Goins said. "I think it's going to be a good year."

Kansas State was 6-11-1 overall and 1-8 in the Big 12 last season. The Razorbacks were scheduled to scrimmage the Wildcats in April as part of the spring practice season, but it was canceled because of a low number of available players for Arkansas.

Saturday's exhibition is much earlier than normal. The Razorbacks began preseason practice Wednesday.

"You're talking three days of training," Hale said. "You normally have 10 or 11 days."

Arkansas is scheduled to open the regular season with a pair of neutral-site games against Duquesne and West Virginia on Aug. 17-19 in State College, Pa. West Virginia played in the Final Four a year ago.