Razorbacks win SEC West soccer title, move into first place tie in league

Arkansas players (from left to right) Parker Goins, Taylor Malham, Anna Podojil and Tori Cannata celebrate a goal during a game against Vanderbilt on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Fayetteville.

Arkansas won a soccer championship Friday and moved into position to win another one.

The No. 8 Razorbacks won 3-1 at No. 18 Texas A&M to clinch the Southeastern Conference Western Division championship. Arkansas (12-2-1, 6-1-0 SEC) also moved into a tie with Florida atop the league standings with three games remaining in the regular season.

The Razorbacks and Gators, who do not play in the regular season, have 18 points apiece.

The division title is the first outright for the Razorbacks since 1996. Division champions were not recognized between 2013-18, but the league reinstated division champions prior to this season.

“It’s awesome,” Arkansas coach Colby Hale said. “The players wanted it. We’ve got a lot of firsts, but this is a big one, a championship. It’s big.”

Tori Cannata scored a goal in the 52nd minute and Parker Goins added a goal in the 55th minute to give the Razorbacks a 3-1 lead after the game was tied 1-1 at halftime.

Cannata scored her go-ahead goal following a goal kick by Arkansas’ Katie Lund, who was credited with an assist. Cannata, who has four goals this season, got behind the Texas A&M line and put a left-footed kick across the box and off the far post.

Goins’ eighth goal of the season was from about 30 yards away and went over the head of Texas A&M goalkeeper Shantel Hutton. Goins took the ball off the foot of midfielder Grace Piper, stepped right to create separation and had a clear look at the net.

“Tori scored an unbelievable goal from our goalkeeper and Parker had a goal that will be a SportsCenter Top 10,” Hale said. “We could have scored a couple of more.”

Arkansas took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute on a goal by freshman Anna Podojil, who scored her SEC-leading 11th goal of the season. Podojil is the reigning United Soccer Coaches national player of the week.

The Aggies (10-3-3, 4-2-1) tied the game 1-1 on a penalty kick by Jimena Lopez in the 37th minute. Podojil and Lopez are tied for the SEC scoring lead with 28 points apiece.

"First off, Arkansas brought the fight,” Texas A&M coach G Guerrieri said. “I was pleased with the way that we battled in the first half. They scored goals the way Arkansas scores goals. We knew that they were going to be dangerous on set pieces. They scored on two set pieces. I'm disappointed that we gave up those opportunities and didn't do well on it. They scored on a goalkeeper mistake on the third one, but it was a great shot by Goins.”

Texas A&M out-shot Arkansas 19-15, but the Razorbacks had twice as many shots on goal with eight. The Razorbacks’ last two goals allowed have come on a penalty kick. Lund had three saves.

Arkansas won for the fourth consecutive game and improved to 4-1 this season against ranked teams.

“This was a big win,” Hale said, “but they’re all big.”

Arkansas is scheduled to play again Thursday against Georgia (6-6-2, 2-3-1) at Razorback Field. It will be the Razorbacks’ final home game of the regular season, but with an RPI of No. 6, Arkansas is in strong position to host during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.