STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 25 Arkansas improved to 6-1-0 on the year Friday night with a 5-2 victory over Mississippi State at the MSU Soccer Complex.

The win – Arkansas’ first this season over a Southeastern Conference opponent – was a strong response following Sunday’s 1-0 loss to George Washington at our nation’s capital. Two Razorbacks scored multiple goals on the evening against Mississippi State junior goalkeeper Tanya de Souza, who was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

Freshman Kayla McKeon’s two scores was the midfielder’s second multiple goal game of the year. She previously scored two goals in the Razorbacks’ 7-1 victory over Northern Iowa on Sept. 1. Senior midfielder Lindsey Mayo scored back-to-back goals during the first period to give the Razorbacks a 3-2 edge heading into the half.

It was a lead that the Razorbacks wouldn’t relinquish. Senior midfielder Claire Kelley’s goal during the waning moments of the 69^th minute – a perfectly placed free kick that arced over de Souza and found the right corner of the net – would seal the win for Arkansas.

“I’m really proud of our fight. SEC play changes some things,” head coach Colby Hale said. “During the first half, there seemed to be some nerves. I thought we settled down, made a couple of adjustments and it was a good team performance. Winning in the SEC isn’t easy especially on the road. We’ll enjoy this tonight and get ready for a very good North Texas team on Sunday.”

Kelley, junior defender Jessi Hartzler and sophomore defender Carly Hoke also registered one assist each in the match. Senior goalkeeper Cameron Carter logged four saves en route to a 6-1 record for the season.

Arkansas is now 19-3-0 all-time against Mississippi State, including a 4-1-0 mark during Hale’s tenure.

The Razorbacks will have a quick turnaround, hosting North Texas at Razorback Field on Sunday night at 6 p.m. The Conference USA defending champions Mean Green (4-1-1) were selected during the offseason by C-USA coaches to repeat this season. The last time Arkansas and North Texas faced off was in 1997 at Denton, Texas.

The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ via the WatchESPN app at 6 p.m. CST.

Single-game tickets are available for $5 and children 17 and under are admitted free. Season tickets are available for purchase through the Razorback Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS (4647) or online at ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Each season ticket package will include a new 2016 Razorback Soccer scarf. Gates at Razorback Field open one hour prior to kickoff.

For more information about Razorback Soccer, follow @RazorbackSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

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