PROVO, Utah - The Cougars (3-1-1, 0-0 Big 12) lost 1-0 Tuesday night against to the Razorbacks at South Field.
“I was disappointed with our effort and with the way we played tonight," said head coach Jennifer Rockwood. "We've been consistent in strong starts this season, and tonight for whatever reason, we did not get off to a very good start. I thought we played very poorly in the first half, and we came out and played a lot better in the second half and had some good opportunities, and just didn't put the ball in the back of the net."
The Cougars had 21 shots on the night, forcing Arkansas goalkeeper Keegan Smith to make nine saves, tying her career high. Freshman Sophie Sivulich and junior Ellie Walbruch led BYU with four shots a piece.
BYU had nine shots on target compared to Arkansas' four. An aggressive matchup concluded with 25 total fouls and one yellow card.
First Half
The Razorbacks opened with the first shot of the night, blocked by the Cougar defensive line.
The Cougars started off their offensive press with a shot from Sivulich, which soared over the goal in the eighth minute of the game.
A corner kick from the Razorbacks was also caught in traffic by goalkeeper Paiton Collins in the 21st minute of the game.
Halle Dixon took a free kick from the top of the 18-yard box, narrowly missing the goal in the 42nd minute of the game.
Despite Arkansas opening with the first shot of the game, the Cougars ended the half with nine total shots compared to the Razorbacks' six. Among those nine shots, three were on target but saved by the Arkansas keeper.
In an aggressive defensive battle, the first half concluded with fifteen total fouls, including a yellow card awarded to an Arkansas player.
Second Half
The Cougars kicked off the second half with an aggressive offense, pressing downfield to start.
In the 53rd minute of the game, Sivulich moved quickly towards the center of the field and shot on target, but a diving effort from the Arkansas keeper made the save.
Seven minutes later, the Cougars worked the ball down the field and Walbruch shot from the left of the pitch. The shot was saved and the ball rolled back to Walbruch, who then shot over the net.
In the 81st minute of the game, Arkansas scored off of a header from a cornerkick to take the lead 1-0.
BYU was later awarded with a free kick in the final minute of the game, which proved unsuccessful.
As the clock ran out, players from both BYU and Arkansas got into an altercation and the game concluded, moving the Cougars to 0-3-1 all-time against the Razorbacks.
Up next
BYU hosts Utah State at South Field on Saturday, September 6th, at 6 p.m. MT, with streaming available on ESPN+.