FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is developing a reputation as a giant slayer at Razorback Field.
The Razorbacks defeated No. 2 Texas A&M 3-2 on Thursday in their Southeastern Conference home opener.
It was Arkansas’ third win over a top-5 opponent at home since 2016 when the Razorbacks defeated No. 2 Duke and No. 4 Florida in a three-week span, and it is the third straight season in which Arkansas has defeated a team ranked in the top three of the national polls. The Razorbacks defeated No. 3 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals last season.
On Thursday, Arkansas (6-2-2, 1-1 SEC) outscored the Aggies 2-1 after the match was tied 1-1 at halftime. Tori Cannata scored her second goal of the match off a rebound in front of the net in the 58th minute to give the Razorbacks the lead for good, and Bryana Hunter added a goal in the 74th minute to extend the lead to 3-1.
Hunter, a freshman who grew up in Pflugerville, Texas, about 100 miles from the Texas A&M campus, was playing in her first game after battling an injury for the first month of the season.
“I actually said that she was going to score the game-winner at halftime,” Arkansas coach Colby Hale said. “I said, ‘Guys, Bryana Hunter is playing up front and she’s going to score the game-winner.’”
Hunter’s goal was a short chip over the head of Texas A&M goalkeeper Cosette Morche off a cross from Stefani Doyle, who also assisted Cannata’s first goal in the 14th minute. Morche allowed three goals Thursday after allowing only two in 10 matches entering the night.
“It's always tough playing an SEC road match,” Texas A&M coach G Guerrieri said. “It's especially tough here because they play so differently than everyone else. It was a really physical game that didn't fall our way. We had a couple wide-open looks at goal that we didn't finish and Arkansas did a great job off finishing three chances.”
Texas A&M pulled within 3-2 on Asdis Halldorsdottir’s goal off a free kick 35 yards away in the 84th minute, but the Aggies never really threatened again. Texas A&M had seven corner kicks, but only two shots on goal.
Both of the Aggies’ goals came on free kicks. Kendall Ritchie’s goal from 25 yards away tied the game 1-1 in the 16th minute, just moments after Cannata had scored the match’s first goal on a one-timer from Doyle.
The loss was the first in 26 matches for Texas A&M (10-1, 1-1 SEC), which had won 24 of its past 25. The Aggies tied Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament last season and were eliminated in penalty kicks.
“It’s a big win,” Hale said. “I told the team at halftime, ‘That’s the No. 2 team in the polls.’ We thought that we were every bit as good as them.
“It’s an upset on the books based on rankings. We thought it was toe to toe. Shots were 14 to 12. We thought it was a deserving win. We still have to sort out a few things, but it was good.”
Thursday’s win was the third positive result against a nationally-renown program this season for Arkansas. The Razorbacks tied West Virginia 1-1 on a neutral field and defeated Baylor 3-2 in Fayetteville last month. West Virginia was a national semifinalist and Baylor was a national quarterfinalist last season.
Arkansas had not defeated Texas A&M since a 2-1 win in Plano, Texas, in September 1993 - the first match in the Aggies’ program history. Texas A&M had won all six matches against the Razorbacks since entering the SEC in 2012, including a 2-1 win in the SEC Tournament championship game last October in Orange Beach, Ala.
“After losing to Texas A&M last year in the SEC Tournament final, we really wanted this win and we got it,” said Cannata, whose two goals Thursday doubled her season total. “I didn’t do all the work tonight. My teammates just passed me the ball and put me in good spots. You just have to keep making runs and you’ll get rewarded.”
The win didn’t come without some bad for Arkansas. Sophomore Parker Goins had to be carried off the field with an apparent knee injury early in the second half. The extent of Goins’ injury is not known.
Goins has two goals and four assists this season, and played with the Under-19 U.S. national team during the summer.
Arkansas is scheduled to play again Sunday at Alabama (6-4-1, 0-2 SEC).