No. 5 Rutgers women’s soccer faces Arkansas in Elite Eight
The Rutgers women’s soccer team looks to keep its NCAA Tournament run going when it faces Arkansas in the Elite Eight on Friday night. The No. 1 seed Scarlet Knights (19-3-1, 10-0-0) are coming off of a dramatic victory over TCU in the Sweet Sixteen, advancing after sophomore forward Allison Lowrey ended the penalty shootout with her game-winning goal.
This is Rutgers’ first Elite Eight appearance since 2015, where it defeated Virginia before its season was ended by Penn State in the Final Four.
Senior forward Amirah Ali has been one of the leaders of the program during this historic season, scoring in regulation in the Sweet Sixteen matchup for her 11th goal of the season. She ranks second in the program for goals, and her six assists are the third highest for the Knights this season.
Senior midfielder Frankie Tagliaferri has been the leading scorer for Rutgers with 13 goals and 34 points, earning recognition as the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. In addition, she is a finalist for the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy.
The Razorbacks (19-4-0, 9-1-0), are coming off of a successful SEC Tournament campaign, reaching the tournament finals before falling to Tennessee. They are making their first ever Elite Eight appearance, defeating Northwestern State, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame to reach this stage in the NCAA Tournament. In addition to reaching new heights in postseason play, the program’s 19 wins this season are the most in Arkansas history.
In its last win over the Fighting Irish (14-6-2, 7-3-0), Taylor Malham scored 2 of the 3 goals for the Razorbacks, her third time this season scoring multiple goals in a game.
Anna Podojil has been the leading scorer for Arkansas, registering 15 goals and 36 total points this season. Parker Goins has also been one of the main contributors in 2021, posting a team-high 13 assists to go along with 11 goals.
The Knights face off against the Razorbacks at 7 p.m. on Friday at Yurcak Field. The game will be broadcasted on 88.7 WRSU FM with live stats also being provided at kickoff.
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