Alabama Soccer to Travel to No. 16 Arkansas to Begin SEC Conference Play

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama soccer team will kick off SEC conference play in Fayetteville, Ark. to face off against No. 16 Arkansas Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Alabama's Non-Conference Campaign

Alabama has a current record of 5-2-1 to conclude non-conference play.
The Tide outscored its opponents 17-6, outshot them 135-63 and earned 67 corner kicks with their opponents only earning 15.
Junior forward Casey Wertz and sophomore Riley Mattingly lead the team with nine points (Wertz: 3g-3a, Mattingly: 4g-1a). Freshman Carlee Giammona heads Alabama in shots with 22, followed by Mattingly with 20.
Goalkeepers Alex Plavin and A.J. Crooks with the Alabama defense shutout three teams and allowed a total of only six goals.

Scouting Arkansas

Sunday's match-up marks the 26th meeting in series history between the Tide and the Razorbacks.
- Alabama leads the all-time series 13-9-3.
- The last meeting on Sept. 23, 2018 ending in a 1-0 loss in Tuscaloosa.
Arkansas has a current record of 6-1-1, currently placing first in the SEC Western Division with a win percentage of .813. They are coming off a 2-0 home upset win over No. 1 UNC.
The Razorbacks ended its 2018 campaign with a 14-5-4 overall record and a 6-3-1 SEC mark. Their season concluded in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament with a 1-0 loss to Virginia Tech.
The team lost in the 2018 SEC Tournament Finals against LSU 1-1, 4-1 in PKs.
Head coach Colby Hale leads the Razorbacks for his eighth season. Under his direction, the team has reached the NCAA Tournament five times, the only times the program has ever reached the postseason.
The team was picked to finish sixth in the SEC according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Last Match Up: The Tide Defeats North Texas, 3-1

Freshman Reyna Reyes – 4^th minute with her first career goal (1-0)
Freshman Carly Wyatt – 33^rd minute from a header, also her first career goal (2-0)
Sophomore Riley Mattingly – 59^th minute (3-0)
North Texas got on the board in the 76^th minute with a goal by Berklee Peters, however it was not enough to complete the comeback.
Alabama outshot the Mean Green, 17-10.
- Mattingly and freshman Carlee Giammona led the team with three shots.
Junior goalkeeper Alex Plavin collected three saves.

Alabama Wins vs. SEC Ranked Opponents

Alabama has won five games against ranked SEC opponents in program history, last doing so on Oct. 18, 2018 against Texas A&M.
- This 1-0 win against the Aggies also was the first win over a Top 5 Ranked Opponent in program history.
Three of these victories came at home, with one earned on the road, and the last at a neutral site.

Alabama Wins vs. SEC Ranked Opponents

Oct. 20, 2011 vs. No. 24 Tennessee – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 1-0
Nov. 2, 2011 vs. No. 19 South Carolina – Orange Beach, Ala. – 1-0
- First round of the SEC Tournament
Oct. 4, 2013 vs. No. 20 Georgia – Athens, Ga. – 3-2 (OT)
Oct. 24, 2014 vs. No. 22 Georgia – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 2-0
Oct. 18, 2018 vs. No. 5 Texas A&M – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 1-0

Alabama in the Rankings

The Crimson Tide ranks third in the SEC in total points, 49 in eight games played.
The team ranks fourth in goals, 17, and assists, 15, in eight games played.
Alabama ranks fifth in the league in total shots taken, 135 in eight games played.
Junior goalkeeper Alex Plavin currently ranks sixth in the league in saves, 3 in eight games played.

Up Next

Alabama will host South Carolina Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. CT at the Alabama Soccer Stadium. The team will later travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to face Tennessee Sunday, Sept. 29 at 12 p.m. CT.

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaSoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. General athletic news can be found at @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and @AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.