Arkansas soccer goes from unranked to 15th; 2 win SEC awards

Jessi Hartzler (15) of Arkansas attempts a shot on goal under pressure from Mississippi State's Courtney Robicheaux in the first half on Sunday Sept. 20, 2015, during the match at Razorback Field in Fayetteville.
Jessi Hartzler (15) of Arkansas attempts a shot on goal under pressure from Mississippi State's Courtney Robicheaux in the first half on Sunday Sept. 20, 2015, during the match at Razorback Field in Fayetteville.

— Arkansas soccer dropped from the top 25 last week despite going undefeated the week before.

Following a win over then-No. 4 Florida last Friday, the Razorbacks returned the national rankings with a vengeance Tuesday.

Arkansas is ranked No. 15 after tying its best start in program history. The Razorbacks are 9-1 overall, 2-0 in the SEC and have wins over two top 5 teams this season.

The Razorbacks are also No. 13 in the latest NCAA Ratings Performance Index (RPI), which factors into postseason seeding and host sites. Barring a late-season collapse, Arkansas appears to be in good position to make the NCAA postseason for the third time in four seasons, and is hoping to host a regional for the first time.

Arkansas’ Jessi Hartzler and Cameron Carter were named SEC offensive and defensive players of the week Monday.

Hartzler had both of Arkansas’ goals in a 2-1 victory over Florida - the Razorbacks’ first victory over the Gators in 20 years. She had a goal in a 2-1 victory over Lipscomb on Sunday, extending her scoring streak to three games. She leads the team with five goals and points with 11.

Carter made eight saves against Florida, which had been averaging 3.5 goals per game. Carter is allowing an average of 1.0 goal in 10 games.

The Razorbacks are on the road for two games this week - at Alabama on Thursday and at Ole Miss on Sunday.

Information from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette was used in this report

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