FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas soccer team returns every starter from last year’s group that made the Sweet 16. The Razorbacks, ranked No. 13 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, have even added more talent.
It’s not surprising that Arkansas coach Colby Hale likes what he’s seen with practice beginning this week.
“It’s going to be the deepest, most competitive team we’ve had,” Hale said on a Zoom call earlier this week. “We would have lost four players that are all pros. In addition to that, we probably wouldn’t have gotten a grad transfer.
“So that’s five players we wouldn’t have had. Four of them will most certainly start, then the grad transfer will be in the mix.”
Forwards Anna Podojil and Parker Goins, who both earned United Soccer Coaches All-America honors last spring, lead the talented group of returners. Podojil, a junior, became the first Razorback in school history to earn first-team honors. Seniors Haley VanFossen and Taylor Malham also joined Podojil and Goins on the All-Southeast Region team.
Midfielder Kayla McKeon begins her sixth season with the Razorbacks after a redshirt year and covid year. She’s one of eight seniors who pleased to be able to end their career on their terms.
“I think they’re really pumped and really excited to be able to have the opportunity to do it again, play a full season, play all 25 games and really end it how we want to end it,” said McKeon, who earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors last year but also dealt with an injury in the spring. “The maturity and the experience we have on this team is unparalleled.”
The Razorbacks won their second SEC regular-season title and lost in the finals of the SEC tournament last fall. But the NCAA Tournament was pushed to the spring because of the pandemic. Despite dealing with some injuries, Arkansas earned the No. 6 overall seed and reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in school history before falling to eventual national champion Santa Clara.
Hale said his team leaders are a selfless group.
“If you’re looking at a group that has a lot of leaders, one of your first concerns if you don’t know them, are there too many cooks in the kitchen?” Hale said. “There’s no ego with any of them. No one is clamoring for more of the spotlight.
“They are all pretty comfortable with who they are as people and that’s made it a dream.”
Hale added the upperclassmen are still highly competitive.
“You spend time with all our older players, they’re sharks on the field,” Hale said. “They want to win. They would slash your tires. They would slash their own grandma’s tires to win.
“But off the field, they’re the most welcoming, egoless people you can be around. It’s a pretty unique situation.”
That’s helped to make the addition of six transfers rather seamless, Hale said. Cora Duininck, a grad transfer from Liberty, is one he mentioned that has come in and fit in nicely.
“She’s a kid who’s a three-year captain at Liberty, all-conference and all those things, and she’s come in here and it’s like she’s been here five years,” Hale said.
The Razorbacks will scrimmage Arkansas-Little Rock at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Razorback Field, then open the season on the road at Duke on Aug. 19.
This will be the first meeting between Arkansas and UALR since the Razorbacks claimed a 5-1 win in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The scrimmage will consist of three 30-minute periods.
“We’re ready to get out and see what it looks like,” Hale said. “UALR will be a good team...we’ll work on some sets. It's gonna be we’re five days in.
“I think we’ve got some pretty experienced, talented players and we’ll have some expectations in terms of work rate and some of the little things.”