This article originally appeared in the August 19, 2013 Move-In issue of The Arkansas Traveler.
Coming off of a season in which the Arkansas soccer team made several strides, second-year head coach Colby Hale said he thinks the team will continue improving this year.
Last year, the Razorbacks beat a ranked opponent for the first time in school history, broke the UA record for Southeastern Conference wins in a season and reached the SEC tournament for the first time since 2000.
“We took a lot of steps (last year), and that’s exciting, but that being said, that’s not our goal,” Hale said. “Ultimately, our end goal is much higher than just making the SEC tournament.”
Hale’s main focus this season is the culture and identity of the program. Of course, making the SEC and NCAA tournaments are some of the goals, but the “branding of the program” is the most important goal, Hale said.
On the field, the Razorbacks return three of their top four scorers from last season, including sophomore forward Ashleigh Ellenwood, who led the team with six goals.
They also have four seniors on the roster, which is twice as many as last year, as well as eight juniors.
“It’s a way more veteran team,” Hale said. “We have way more questions answered this year than we did this time last year. Our leadership group is much stronger and we return a lot of really good players.”
Along with the upperclassmen, Arkansas had a solid recruiting class that will bring 11 freshmen to Fayetteville. Over the past four seasons, the Razorbacks have had at least one freshman named to the Freshman All-SEC team each year.
Despite these freshmen coming in as talented high school and club players, Hale said that he doesn’t know how they’ll transition to the college level.
“The SEC is a different game; it’s stronger and quicker,” Hale said. “Some of them are going to help us and play roles, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you (who) until we’re deeper into the season.”
The most obvious hole on the team was left by the graduation of midfielder Allie Chandler, a two-time Second Team All-SEC selection. Chandler tied for the team lead in points last year, with 13, and scored six game-winning goals in her career at Arkansas.
Hale said that he doesn’t expect a single player to replace Chandler’s scoring. Instead, he sees everyone on the team improving their scoring by a couple of points.
“(Chandler) was a great attacking player,” Hale said. “I think everyone is going to have to step up a little. We’re going to pick up her offensive production as a group.”
Arkansas’ season starts with a tough non-conference schedule, as three of their eight non-conference opponents reached their respective conference championship games last season.
“We don’t want our highs to get too high and our lows to get too low,” Hale said. “Coach (Bret) Bielema uses the ‘win every day’ phrase. We don’t use that phrase, but we have the same mentality.”
The most difficult part of the non-conference schedule is the last two games. After five of the first six games are played at Razorback Field, Arkansas travels to Utah State Sept. 13, then travels to TCU two days later. Hale describes the trip as an “SEC weekend.”
“That’s going to be a good test for us and going to give us an idea of who we are and who we have,” Hale said. “It’s also going to be good for the younger players to get a taste of life on the road.”
Another key for the Razorbacks this season is winning close games, Hale said. Thirteen of Arkansas’ 20 games last season were decided by one goal and they won eight of those games.
“We hit our peak toward the end (of the season),” Hale said. “We just need to continue doing the little things. I have full confidence in where they’re at from a mental standpoint.”
Hale also emphasized the importance of fan support. Last season, Arkansas had three crowds over 1,000 at Razorback Field, including the second highest attended game of all-time, against No. 18 Kentucky.
“The support of Razorback nation is second to none, pro or collegiate,” Hale said. “It’s one of the reasons I came (to Arkansas) and is a massive influence on the game.”
The Razorbacks begin their regular season Friday against Kansas at Razorback Field. The game starts at 7 p.m.
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