Tag: Ava Tankersley

Colby Hale named SEC Coach of the Year for Arkansas soccer

Ava Tankersley was named SEC Forward of the Year and Bea Franklin SEC Midfielder of the Year, too.

Colby Hale has built a dynasty.

Arkansas soccer will undoubtedly qualify for its eighth straight NCAA Tournament when the field is announced in a week and the Razorbacks have gone to the Elite Eight two straight seasons.

But Hale, in his 12th year as coach, may have his best team yet and he was rewarded for it Saturday as he was named SEC Coach of the Year.

Hale led the Razorbacks to a 12-3-2 record overall and a 8-1-1 mark in SEC play. Arkansas will enter the SEC Tournament, which the Hogs start Tuesday against either Tennessee or Auburn, as the 10th-ranked team in the nation.

Five of Hale’s players joined him earning league honors, too. Ava Tankersley was named SEC Forward of the Year and Bea Franklin was named SEC Midfielder of the Year. Forward Anna Podojil and defender Ellie Podojil were named second-team All-SEC and Avery Wren was named Freshmen All-SEC.

Tankersley’s five goals scored in league play ranked second in the SEC. Franklin led the Hogs with seven goals and 21 points.

No. 6 Arkansas soccer team wins fifth straight SEC match, defeats Georgia 2-1

The Razorbacks soccer team defeated Georgia, 2-1, on goals from Kiley Dulaney and Ava Tankersley

The No. 6 Arkansas soccer team remained red-hot to start SEC play, winning their fifth straight conference game, and their sixth straight, overall.

The Razorbacks (9-2-1, 5-0-0 SEC) got second-half goals from senior forwards Kiley Dulaney and Ava Tankersley to defeat Georgia 2-1 in front of 2,020 fans at Razorback Field.

The teams battled through a scoreless first half, despite the fact the the Hogs outshot the Dogs, 7-0. Georgia goalkeeper Jordan Brown made two of her game-high three saves before halftime.

Finally, at the 57:02 mark, Dulaney broke the ice with her second goal of the season. She got assists from midfielders Bea Franklin and Emilee Hauser, who sent the ball into the 18-yard box on a free kick. Dulaney missed the initial header but cleaned it up with a powerful shot into the upper right corner of the net.

Just over four minutes later, Tankersley boosted the Razorbacks’ lead to 2-0 with her third goal of the season, getting assists from freshman Bella Field and graduate Anna Podojil, who set up the shot with a header. It was Tankersley’s second game-winning goal in the past two games.

Georgia’s lone goal came at the 72:50 mark, when Brown launched a massive kick from her own goal position, which deflected off Arkansas goalkeeper Phoebe Carver and into the Razorbacks’ goal.

Carver recorded one save in the game to run her personal record to 4-0, coming in four straight starts. Unfortunately, the own goal ended her shutout streak.

Arkansas outshot Georgia 14-7 in the contest, and had nine corner kicks to none for the Bulldogs.

The Razorbacks will travel to Auburn on Sunday to face the Tigers in a Sunday night showdown on the SEC Network at 6 p.m.

Six Razorbacks named to SEC soccer preseason watch list

Arkansas soccer is full of momentum headed into Thursday night’s season opener with in-state rival Arkansas State.

After being picked as favorites to win the conference title last week, the No. 8 Arkansas soccer team got more preseason honors Tuesday, when six Razorbacks were named to the SEC Preseason Watch List.

Graduate forward Anna Podojil made her fourth appearance on the list, continuing the most decorated career in program history. The 5-foot-5 native of Cincinnati, Ohio, is already the Razorback’s all-time leader with 45 career goals, including 15 game-winners, and 119 points. She is also a 4-time All-American and 4-time All-SEC first-team selection.

She is joined on the list by fellow graduate midfielder Bea Franklin, a second-team All-SEC selection last season, as well as a trio of seniors — midfielder Ellie Podojil, forward Kiley Dulaney, and forward Ava Tankersley. It is Franklin and Ellie Podojil’s second time on the list.

Sophomore midfielder Makenzie Malham, who started 17 games last season and was named to the SEC’s All-Freshman team, made her first appearance on the list.

The Lady Razorbacks will open the season at home against Arkansas State on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Arkansas soccer breezes to 6-0 win in preseason finale

The Arkansas soccer team is tuned up for the regular season, which begins Thursday on its home pitch.

The No. 8 Arkansas soccer team looks primed for Thursday’s regular-season home opener against Arkansas State, after rolling to a 6-0 victory over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in Saturday’s preseason finale.

The Lady Razorbacks scored all six of their goals in a 24-minute span that began late in the first half, after freshman Patricia Tsokos booted in a free kick on an assist from junior midfielder Van Fitch, to break the scoreless tie in the 40th minute.

Fellow freshman Taliyah Spain then added a goal with five seconds remaining in the half, with an assist from sophomore Ainsley Erzen, to put Arkansas up 2-0 at the break.

The flood gates opened in the second half, as the Razorbacks got goals from seniors Anna Podojil and Ava Tankersley, along with junior Sophia Aragon and freshman Bella Field. Arkansas out-shot the Cougars 24-3, including 12-2 on goal.

Junior goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde played more than 71 minutes in net for the Razorbacks, recording one save. True freshman Phoebe Carver got 19 minutes in goal, also recording a save.

Arkansas, who tied Kansas State 1-1 in its first exhibition game on Monday, will welcome Arkansas State at 6 p.m. Thursday at Razorback Field.

Unbeaten no more: Arkansas hands Michigan State first loss

The Razorbacks are getting Top 25 votes and should pick up more next week after the win.

Bea Franklin’s rough-and-tumble style earned her four fouls Sunday when Arkansas played Michigan State.

That style also earned her a second goal of the season, the lone one to find the back of the net as the Razorbacks handed the Spartans their first loss of the season, 1-0, in Fayetteville.

Junior forward Ava Tankersley lined up for a free kick in the 77th minute after putting pressure on the MSU midfield and drawing a foul. Her boot found Franklin, who had to battle Spartans defenders, and the 5-foot-10 senior from Seattle popped home a header to give the Hogs the victory.

“We just knew that they had a strong keeper so somebody had to get in front of the keeper on any free kick or corner kick we had,” Franklin said. “That was my mission on that kick, and I just was able to get my head on it.”

Tankersley picked up an assist, her fifth of the season, a team high.

Arkansas has won four straight games after a season-opening loss to St. Louis. The Razorbacks picked up four votes for the Top 25 last week. They travel Thursday to Provo, Utah, to play sixth-ranked Brigham Young.

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