Razorbacks Soccer Notebook

Goins, former UNC recruit, helps Arkansas down No. 1 Tar Heels

Arkansas' Parker Goins (left) celebrates after scoring a goal during a game against North Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, in Fayetteville.

— North Carolina's 2-0 loss to Arkansas on Sunday was only the 75th in the program's 41-year history. 

A feeder program for the U.S. Women's National Team, the Tar Heels don't lose many recruiting battles, either, but they did lose out to Arkansas in the recruitment of Parker Goins. 

Goins, a junior, was heavily recruited by North Carolina out of high school in Broken Arrow, Okla., but along with three of her high school teammates chose to play for the Razorbacks. 

"We aggressively chased Parker Goins when she was coming out of high school," North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance said prior to the game, "so we know the quality of players they have."

Goins showed her value Sunday. She scored a goal in the 82nd minute to put Arkansas ahead 2-0 and had two other good looks on shots that weren't on goal. Goins had an attempt from inside the box go high of the crossbar in the first half and had a header go wide left of the net early in the second half. 

“She is a really good player,” Arkansas coach Colby Hale said earlier in the week. “Not only a good player, but a good person and a good recruit. She was a big, big recruit."


Goins' goal Sunday was her fourth of the season and 14th of her three-year career that included several missed games last season due to a torn ACL. Goins has five assists this season, which is tied for the most on the team. 

Don't call it an upset

The Razorbacks have made it a habit to defeat ranked opponents under Hale, especially in the past four seasons at home. 

Sunday's victory was Arkansas' fourth over a top 10 team at its home field. The Razorbacks also defeated No. 2 Duke and No. 4 Florida in 2016, and No. 2 Texas A&M last season. 

Since 2016, Arkansas is 7-8-1 in games against ranked teams, excluding the NCAA postseason. The Razorbacks are unbeaten in their past four regular-season games against ranked teams and are 2-0 in such games this year, with both wins coming in the past week. 

Sunday's win was Arkansas' first over a No. 1 team in three tries. The Razorbacks previously lost 2-1 to Florida State in 2012 and 4-2 to Penn State in 2017. All three of Arkansas' games against No. 1 teams have been in played in Fayetteville. 

Hogs and Heels

Sunday's game was the fourth between Arkansas and North Carolina, and the first won by the Razorbacks. 

Prior to Sunday the teams had met most recently in 2014 when Arkansas lost 2-1 in Durham, N.C. The Tar Heels also won meetings in 1992 and 1994. 

Arkansas and North Carolina nearly met in the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons. The Razorbacks lost in a penalty shootout against Clemson in the second round of the tournament in 2016, and lost in double overtime to Virginia Tech last year in the second round. A win in either game would have matched Arkansas against the Tar Heels in the following round. 

"For them to be in the tournament and be (in Chapel Hill) for a second-round game, that speaks to their quality as a program," Dorrance said. 

Arkansas is scheduled to play at North Carolina in 2020.

Arkansas-UNC ties

Two former Arkansas head coaches played at North Carolina for Dorrance, a UNC graduate who has coached the women's program since it was started in 1979.

Marcia McDermott coached the Razorbacks from 1990-92. In 1993 she was replaced by Janet Rayfield, who coached Arkansas for six seasons. 

Rayfield played for UNC from 1979-82 and McDermott played for the Tar Heels from 1983-86. Both were members of multiple national championship teams. 

"They have been very nice to my former players," Dorrance said.