Traveling to Fayetteville and winning a match at Razorback Field is not an easy task. In fact, over the past four seasons, it’s been a near impossible task. Coming into Thursday’s season opener against the Hawkeyes, Arkansas had not lost a regular season home match since 2021. That streak? No match for Dave Dilanni’s Hawkeyes. […]
Traveling to Fayetteville and winning a match at Razorback Field is not an easy task. In fact, over the past four seasons, it’s been a near impossible task. Coming into Thursday’s season opener against the Hawkeyes, Arkansas had not lost a regular season home match since 2021. That streak? No match for Dave Dilanni’s Hawkeyes. Iowa toppled the 6th-ranked Razorbacks by a final score of 3-2 for a statement win on opening night.
Iowa, the newcomers on the block nationally, knew what they were getting into traveling down to Fayetteville. The preseason 6th-ranked team, Arkansas, had posted a 41-1-4 record at home over the last four seasons, including outscoring opponents 55-6 last year. The best thing you can do when facing a tough road environment is score first and score early to set the tone. It took the Hawkeyes until the 8th minute to get their first goal of the ’25 campaign.
A lengthy review of a possible Arkansas handball in the box went in Iowa’s favor, as the match official awarded the Hawkeyes a penalty kick. Stepping up to the spot, with under ten minutes of collegiate game experience to her name, true freshman Liana Tarasco, with her u20 Team Canada background came through. Her penalty shot was saved by goalkeeper Keegan Smith, but it rebounded right back to Tarasco and she didn’t miss on her follow up attempt, giving Iowa an early 1-0 lead.
Later in the first half, in the 26th minute, the Hawkeyes stunned the Razorback faithful with a second goal. Veteran attacker Kenzie Roling received a pass from Sofia Bush in plenty of space on the left side of the field and slotted a beautiful far post shot past the keeper Smith to make it 2-0 Iowa. The Hawkeyes took the two goal advantage into the locker room and for the first time since 2021, Arkansas trailed a regular season home game after 45 minutes.
A 2-0 didn’t feel comfortable given the Razorbacks success on their home pitch and it was quickly cut in half just minutes into the second half. Millie Greer was issued a yellow card, setting up Arkansas free kick. Defender Taylor Tommack stepped up a delivered an SCTop10 worthy strike off of the free kick, slashing the Hawkeyes advantage to 2-1 in the 49th minute.
Before the Razorbacks could use the goal to build up any sort of momentum with the crowd or on the pitch, the Hawkeyes had a swift response on a play that was just as SCTop10 worthy as the goal from Tommack. In the 51st minute, a ball chipped out of the box by Arkansas rolled towards midfielder Abby Skiff outside the top of the box and she blasted a strike off the crossbar, down and in to reestablish a two-goal lead.
Arkansas didn’t go away. They struck back in the 57th minute off the foot of Kyndal Ewertz. The sophomore forward got some help from her teammate Kennedy Ball acting as a screener and slow groundball of a shot fooled Iowa goalkeeper Taylor Kane. That cut the Hawkeyes lead to 3-2 with more than 30 minutes left to play, but they didn’t falter down the stretch. When they needed it most, their defense stepped up and held strong to close out a big time victory on opening night.
FINAL STATS
8′ – Iowa Goal Liana Tarasco (1-0), 26′ – Iowa Goal Kenzie Roling (2-0), 49′ – Arkansas Goal Taylor Tommack (2-1), 51′ – Iowa Goal Abby Skiff (3-1), 57′ – Arkansas Goal Kyndal Ewertz (3-2)
Shots: Arkansas 18-11 Shots on Goal: Iowa 7-6 Corners: Iowa 4-3 Fouls: Arkansas 17-15
The Hawkeyes return to Iowa City for a showdown with the 9th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs on August 21st at the UI Soccer Complex. The match is set to get underway at 7:30pm CT on the Big Ten Network.
Category: General Sports
