No. 7 Arkansas defeated No. 13 Mississippi State 4-2 in a women’s soccer match at Razorback Field on Sunday, coming back from an early two-goal deficit to secure the win and take sole possession of first place in the SEC standings.
Mississippi State, previously unbeaten in SEC play, scored twice within the first six minutes. Zoe Main opened the scoring in the third minute, followed by Tatum Borman’s goal three minutes later.
Arkansas responded when forward Taylor Berman drew a foul inside the penalty box in the 34th minute. After video review confirmed the penalty, senior midfielder Zoe Susi converted with a shot past Mississippi State goalkeeper Sarah Wommack.
The match was tied in the 47th minute after sophomore Kyndal Ewertz redirected a pass from freshman Molly Teed into the net. Arkansas took its first lead in the 56th minute when Berman headed in a free kick from freshman Presley Marvil. Ewertz added her second goal of the night late in the game after receiving a pass from Susi and advancing to score from just outside the box.
Despite conceding two early goals, Arkansas goalkeeper Evie Vitali made six saves during the second half to maintain her team’s advantage. Mississippi State outshot Arkansas 22-14 over the course of the match.
With this victory, Arkansas extended its home unbeaten streak against SEC opponents to 24 matches, dating back to 2020. Kyndal Ewertz recorded her first collegiate brace, while freshmen Molly Teed and Presley Marvil each registered their first collegiate assists. The Bulldogs’ loss ended their streak of 15 consecutive SEC wins; their previous defeat was also against Arkansas at Razorback Field last year. Ally Perry, who had scored in each of Mississippi State’s previous five conference games this season, was limited to one shot on target by Arkansas defenders.
Ewertz, Susi and freshman Vailana Tu’ua now share team leadership with four goals each for Arkansas this season.
Arkansas will next face No. 17 Georgia on Friday night. Georgia recently tied LSU 1-1 in Baton Rouge.
“Despite allowing two goals early, Arkansas goalkeeper Evie Vitali made six saves in the second half to keep the Bulldogs at bay.”
For further updates on Arkansas soccer, fans can follow @RazorbackSoccer on social media.
