Arkansas won a penalty kick shootout against Kentucky on Tuesday night to advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals.
The 5-seed No. 25 Arkansas women’s soccer team defeated 4-seed No. 22 Kentucky 5-4 in the quarterfinals, according to Arkansas Razorbacks. The victory marks only the second penalty kick shootout win in the program’s history.
After 90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime ended in a 1-1 tie, the match was decided from the spot. Freshman goalkeeper Emily Jenkins secured the win by saving the sixth Kentucky attempt, sending the Razorbacks to their ninth semifinal appearance in the last 11 tournaments.
Arkansas established an early lead when junior forward Kyndal Ewertz rose above a Kentucky defender to score her fifth goal of the season. The goal followed a sequence where freshman Jordan Bryant served a cross into the 18-yard box that pinballed through the defense after a failed clearance by a Kentucky defender.
Kentucky responded in the 85th minute when midfielder Nadia Ramadan converted a penalty kick following a foul by junior Aniyah Nurse-Whyte. Arkansas goalkeeper Keegan Smith kept the Hogs in contention by making four saves during the match, including a critical stop in the final minute of the first half.
The game saw several high-stakes moments during the two 10-minute golden goal overtime periods. Arkansas nearly won the match in the first overtime period when senior defender Avery Wren had a penalty kick saved by Kentucky goalkeeper Megan Holland, who had received a yellow card for taunting Wren prior to the kick.
A potential Kentucky winner in the 97th minute was nullified when Arkansas successfully challenged an uncalled offside violation before a foul occurred in the box.
The shootout required six rounds to decide the winner after Arkansas’ Jordan Bryant hit the crossbar on her fourth attempt, leaving the Hogs trailing 3-4. Jenkins then halted the Wildcats’ momentum with her save on the sixth attempt.
| Team | Regulation Score | Shootout Score |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 1 | 5 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 4 |
The Razorbacks now move into a semifinal matchup against the 9-seed Texas. The Longhorns earned their spot in the tournament’s final four by defeating 1-seed Vanderbilt, the top-ranked team in the country, with a 2-1 score.
The semifinal match between Arkansas and Texas is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m. on the SEC Network. In the other semifinal, 2-seed South Carolina will play 3-seed Alabama on Thursday night.
Arkansas’ next match is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12.
Worth a look
No. 9 Tennessee Faces Texas A&M in Crucial SEC Road Matchup
No. 9 Tennessee faces a critical road test against Texas A&M this Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time....
Oregon Progressives Gain Power to Push Wealth Tax and Policy Shifts
Oregon progressives roughly doubled their presence in the House and Senate during last week's election as the Democratic...
Why Beating Michigan Is the Only Nonnegotiable Left for Ohio State
In a column for Land-Grant Holy Land, a contributor argues that while Ohio State has three games remaining...
Proposed SNAP Rule Changes Could Impact Nevada Families and Retailers
Federal regulators are moving to tighten how families qualify for food assistance, a decision that could strip nutrition...