FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Michigan State women’s soccer fell for the first time in the 2022 season Sunday afternoon, as the Spartans battled closely with No. 11 Arkansas but failed to register a second-half equalizer in a 1-0 defeat on Razorback Field.
The Spartans fall to 4-1-1 overall through the first six contests of the year and come up short in the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Arkansas in women’s soccer. The Razorbacks climb to 4-1 on the year, with their only loss coming in their season opener to nationally-ranked Saint Louis.
Graduate defender Samantha White led the way in the box score for MSU with a trio of shot attempts, while sophomore forward Jordyn Wickes put a pair of shots on target in the game. Both sides played to six corner kicks apiece, while Arkansas edged Michigan State in shots (19-12) and shots on goal (9-3).
The Spartans weathered Arkansas’ talented front line early in the first half, with senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal booking her first save of the game and sparking an MSU attack that put up a shot and a pair of corner kicks in the first 15 minutes. The Green & White stood tall on the back line against an aggressive Razorback attack, blocking several shots in addition to a trio of saves by Kozal through the 27th.
MSU and Arkansas exchanged possessions, with both sides notching solid scoring chances, but defensive effort won out as the score remained knotted at nil heading into halftime.
A breakaway opportunity sparked by graduate midfielder Celia Gaynor in the middle third brought the action down the field for MSU, but…
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