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Keegan Smith keeps Arkansas alive tending goal; Late header downs BYU

Razorbacks get much needed road win over familiar foe behind big outing from goaltender, then close it out keeping Cougars shut down
Daniel Shi|
Kennedy Ball during the match against Duke. She had the game winning assist off a corner kick against No. 11 BYU. The Razorbacks won 1-0.
Kennedy Ball during the match against Duke. She had the game winning assist off a corner kick against No. 11 BYU. The Razorbacks won 1-0. | NILSEN ROMAN - HOGS ON SI

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Arkansas Razorbacks

PROVO, Utah — No. 13 Arkansas got a much-needed 1-0 win over No. 11 BYU on the road, thanks to a late goal off of a corner kick in the 81st minute.

Kyndal Ewertz was the beneficiary of a great delivery from Kennedy Ball. Ewertz rose above the crowd and manufactured a frozen rope header into the top right corner of the net for the lone goal of the night.

Arkansas was fortunate to find themselves in a scoreless tie up until that point. Goalkeeper Keegan Smith made nine saves on the night, including one in the 62nd minute, where Smith slides across to the right at the final moment, just getting to the ball in time before it crossed the goal after the ball came off the foot of BYU's Afton Perry.

Smith's nine saves were a career high, besting her eight from last time out against No. 3 Duke. Coach Colby Hale admitted after the game against Duke that with the youth of his team, the team would likely have to rely on the goalie to keep the team in some matches while the offense found their rhythm.

"We have a great goalkeeper," Hale said about Smith after the Duke loss. "We need her to keep us in some games. We gave up way too many chances in the first half. It just was discombobulated. We were disconnected."

Arkansas got off to a slow start again, Arkansas was the team sending players forward because of their natural play style, but BYU was the team with the better scoring chances early.

A breakdown defensively in the eighth minute nearly cost Arkansas another early goal, a consistent theme in the Hogs' early matches.

BYU's Sophie Sivulich beat the defender around the corner and forced Smith into action at the near post. Smith's presence ultimately forced the shot wide, even if she did not officially get credit for a save.

Arkansas is 2-0-1 in three previous matches against BYU, with at least a goal scored in each half. In the previous meetings, the two teams combined for 14 goals, but after 45 minutes, both teams were held scoreless thanks to BYU goalkeeper Paiton Collins matching Smith stride for stride.

BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood was particularly unhappy with her team's play at halftime.

"It'd be nice if we'd be able to bring the ball down and connect a pass," Rockwood told the TV broadcast at halftime. "It's hard to watch. We're not playing our game."

For most of the second half, neither goalkeeper would blink, but Arkansas' set piece magic set up the game winner with less than 10 minutes to go.

The two teams got into a scuffle in the final few seconds of the match as emotions boiled over, but eventually cooler heads prevailed without further incident.

The Hogs will close out their non-conference schedule with another road game against Creighton. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI

Covers baseball, football and basketball for Arkansas Razorback on SI since 2023, previously writing for FanSided. Currently a student at the University of Arkansas. He’s been repeatedly jaded by the Los Angeles Angels since 2014. Probably silently humming along to whatever the band is playing in the press box. Follow me on X: @dsh12

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