Razorbacks ranked 13th in first soccer poll

Arkansas' Anna Podojil chases a ball during a game against Auburn on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is ranked No. 13 in the first women’s United Soccer Coaches poll of 2021.

The Razorbacks, who have won regular-season SEC championships the past two seasons, return several players from a team that finished 12-4 and was the No. 6 overall seed in the 2020 NCAA Tournament. Arkansas was eliminated with a 2-0 loss to eventual national champion Santa Clara in the round of 16.

Arkansas’ leading scorers from the past two seasons, forwards Anna Podojil and Parker Goins, are back after combining to score 15 goals in 16 games last season when both players were named All-Americans. Podojil was the SEC forward of the year and a semifinalist for college soccer’s top honor, the Hermann Award.

The Razorbacks also return All-SEC players in defenders Haley VanFossen and Bryana Hunter, and midfielders Taylor Malham and Kayla McKeon. The team is led by 10th-year coach Colby Hale.

Goins, VanFossen and Malham — former high school teammates at Tulsa Union High School — are playing their fifth season at Arkansas, beneficiaries of the NCAA’s decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to players whose careers were affected by the covid-19 outbreak. McKeon is in her sixth season due to the covid year and a medical redshirt.

All four players are likely to break the program record this season for career games played (94) and could challenge several other records.

Goins enters the season with 29 career goals, which is tied for fifth in program history and 15 shy of Julie Williford’s school record. McKeon has 28 career goals.

Goins and Malham each have 24 career assists, which are two shy of Claire Kelly’s program record. Goins (82) and McKeon (73) could also challenge Williford’s career record of 101 points.

McKeon broke the program record with her 12th career game-winning goal last season.

Other notable returners for Arkansas are sophomores Ellie Podojil — Anna’s younger sister — and forward Ava Tankersley. Both players made the All-SEC freshman team last year. Tankersley scored four goals and added three assists in 2020.

Arkansas is scheduled to scrimmage Arkansas-Little Rock at 1 p.m. Sunday in Fayetteville. That is the Razorbacks’ only scheduled tune up before they open the season with three consecutive games against ranked opponents — at No. 6 Duke on Aug. 19, at No. 3 North Carolina on Aug. 22 and at home against No. 15 BYU on Aug. 30.

Other Arkansas opponents ranked in the preseason poll include No. 9 Texas A&M, No. 18 Vanderbilt and No. 23 Ole Miss.