TAT: Hogs Seek to Rebound After 4-0 Florida Loss

This article originally appeared in the October 4, 2012 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

     Tomorrow, Arkansas seeks to improve their 5-6-1 overall record and 2-3-1 Southeastern Conference record when they square off with the Vanderbilt Commodores at Razorback Field.

     The Razorbacks are coming off a two-game road trip in which they beat Tennessee 1-0 and fell to No. 24 Florida 4-0.

     “We came out and used a lot of energy Friday (against Tennessee),” head coach Colby Hale said.

     During the Florida game, Arkansas allowed three first-half goals. Although he was disappointed, Hale thought his team “absolutely” got better.

     “We came out in the second half after being down 3-0, talked about who we are and being true to ourselves, and I thought they did a great job in the second half,” Hale said.

     Senior forward Allie Chandler scored their lone goal on the trip. It was also Chandler’s first goal of the season.

     “Allie is fantastic,” Hale said. “She’s a special attacking player, but it’s her defending now that’s (improved). She’s a complete player.”

     The week before their road trip, Arkansas beat No. 18 Kentucky 3-2 and tied South Carolina 1-1.

     “We’re playing with a lot of confidence,” Hale said. “(The players) are doing a great job of working hard. They believe they can win.”

     Against Kentucky, freshman forward Lindsey Mayo came off the bench and scored two goals. Her performance earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

     Hale believes that Mayo and other players that come off the bench are important to his team’s success.

     “Depth is a key for us,” Hale said. “We bring a lot of players off the bench that are going to impact the game. As the game goes on, I’d say we have the advantage.”

     Vanderbilt comes into tomorrow’s game with a 4-4-5 overall record and a 1-1-4 SEC record.

     “They’re good. They’re well coached, organized and athletic,” Hale said. “They’re young so I think going on the road will be interesting to see how they do in our environment.”

     They are led by senior midfielder Dana Schwartz, as well as freshmen forwards Cheyna Williams and Kelsey Tillman.

     “They’ve got a couple freshmen up front that are extremely athletic,” Hale said. “It’ll be a big challenge for our back four just to deal with them.”

     On the road, the Commodores have proven to be formidable with a 4-2-3 record. This includes a 4-2 win at SEC foe Mississippi State. Hale is excited to have the opportunity to play them in Fayetteville.

     “Home has been nice. It’s been good to us,” Hale said. “It’ll be fun and the kids love playing in front of the fans. We’re expecting good things out of this weekend.”