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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