Hog soccer sweeps critical SEC home games
Jimmy Carter
Issue date: 10/20/08 Section: Sports
Sophie Wentz and Kim Schleif scored early and the Razorback defense held off Vanderbilt late, giving Arkansas (11-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) a hard-fought 2-1 victory Sunday at Razorback Field.
The win gave the Hogs a huge SEC weekend sweep, following their 3-1 victory over Kentucky on Friday.
"It [the win] was absolutely huge," said Razorbacks coach Gordon Henderson. "Not only does that put us six points ahead of Vanderbilt, but it gives the head-to-head, so it's another team we've pushed ahead of.
"It was a hard fought game, and at the end of the game we were held together by scotch tape. We had some injuries out there, players were doing their best and we were just trying to problem solve as best we could."
Arkansas got on the board quickly, when junior midfielder Wentz scored off a ball that was deflected by the goalkeeper at the 7:47 mark of the first period.
"[It was] a great goal," Henderson said. "Again , it was a good sequence play because we built the ball well and that was a nice shot by Abbey Wilburn, a good save by the goalkeeper, and Sophie Wentz doing what she should be doing and following up on the shot."
Junior midfielder Schleif outran the Vanderbilt defense scoring on a run off an assist from senior Lindsay Patterson, giving the Hogs a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.
"LP [Patterson] got the ball and she just like immediately flicked it off and I reacted quickly to it, read the defenders," Schleif said. "Then I reacted to what the goalie was doing and just slid it past her."
The Razorbacks would head into halftime with the 2-0 lead, after piecing together one of the best halves of the season.
"I actually thought we played very well," Henderson said. "We were very efficient with the goal scoring today. Two very good goals and I thought we were deserving of that lead. It's still a new experience for this team to be ahead and leading in SEC games and we're still learning to deal with that."
The win gave the Hogs a huge SEC weekend sweep, following their 3-1 victory over Kentucky on Friday.
"It [the win] was absolutely huge," said Razorbacks coach Gordon Henderson. "Not only does that put us six points ahead of Vanderbilt, but it gives the head-to-head, so it's another team we've pushed ahead of.
"It was a hard fought game, and at the end of the game we were held together by scotch tape. We had some injuries out there, players were doing their best and we were just trying to problem solve as best we could."
Arkansas got on the board quickly, when junior midfielder Wentz scored off a ball that was deflected by the goalkeeper at the 7:47 mark of the first period.
"[It was] a great goal," Henderson said. "Again , it was a good sequence play because we built the ball well and that was a nice shot by Abbey Wilburn, a good save by the goalkeeper, and Sophie Wentz doing what she should be doing and following up on the shot."
Junior midfielder Schleif outran the Vanderbilt defense scoring on a run off an assist from senior Lindsay Patterson, giving the Hogs a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.
"LP [Patterson] got the ball and she just like immediately flicked it off and I reacted quickly to it, read the defenders," Schleif said. "Then I reacted to what the goalie was doing and just slid it past her."
The Razorbacks would head into halftime with the 2-0 lead, after piecing together one of the best halves of the season.
"I actually thought we played very well," Henderson said. "We were very efficient with the goal scoring today. Two very good goals and I thought we were deserving of that lead. It's still a new experience for this team to be ahead and leading in SEC games and we're still learning to deal with that."
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