No. 10 Arkansas soccer left Baltimore with a 1-1 draw after controlling possession, producing the better chances and yet conceding on a second-half corner that found the net past the goal line. The result feels significant because Arkansas generated looks and set-piece opportunities throughout the match but could not convert late to secure a road win.
Key game details and the full match recap are available in the original game report from Arkansas Razorbacks, which confirms Zoe Susi’s 28th-minute penalty conversion and the sequence that led to Loyola’s equalizer. That report also lists the final shot and corner totals that underline how Arkansas controlled much of the match.
Key Takeaways
- No. 10 Arkansas played to a 1-1 draw at Loyola Maryland after Zoe Susi converted a 28th-minute penalty.
- Arkansas finished the match with 16 shots to Loyola’s 3 while leading corners 8-6.
- The game-tying goal came on a second-half corner that eluded Arkansas defenders on the goal line.
- Arkansas will host a top-10 North Carolina team at Razorback Field on Thursday, August 20 with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
Arkansas soccer attack and missed chances
Arkansas established early control and outshot Loyola 7-2 in the first half while also leading the corner count 4-2 at intermission. The Hogs converted the game’s opening scoring opportunity when senior midfielder Kennedy Ball was fouled inside the box and Zoe Susi finished from the spot in the 28th minute to move to 3-3 on career penalty kicks. That conversion gave Arkansas a deserved lead based on the volume of chances created.
Late in the first half freshman MacKenzie Gwin was fouled just outside the top of the box, and junior Aniyah Nurse-Whyte delivered a pacey free kick that sailed just over the crossbar. That miss left Arkansas with momentum but not an added cushion heading into the second half. The pattern through the first 45 minutes was clear: Arkansas earned set-piece opportunities and high-quality looks but did not add a second goal to close the match out early.
Ten minutes after the break Loyola leveled the match on a corner kick finished by Reagan Mallia that got past Razorback defenders on the goal line. The goal shifted the match’s tenor; Arkansas continued to press, earned fouls around the 18-yard box and tested the goalkeeper without converting a decisive set piece. Defensive marking at the far post and reaction on the goal line emerged as the single decisive detail that flipped a likely Arkansas victory into a draw.
The closest late chance for Arkansas came in the 81st minute when Nurse-Whyte was fouled near a corner and Susi found Bella Field inside the six-yard box, but Loyola keeper Hannah Goetzer produced a diving save to preserve the draw. Arkansas goalkeeper Keegan Smith recorded no saves in the boxed shots count but made a key play earlier by punching away a dangerous corner in the first half. Those individual plays mattered, yet the match swung on the conversion of one set piece against Arkansas marking.
Shots corners and set piece outcomes compared
| Metric | Arkansas | Loyola Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Final shots | 16 | 3 |
| First-half shots | 7 | 2 |
| Final corners | 8 | 6 |
| Penalty conversions | 1 (Zoe Susi) | 0 |
| Notable goalkeeper involvement | Keegan Smith punched away a dangerous corner and recorded no official saves | Hannah Goetzer made a diving save on an 81st-minute effort |
SEC implications for Arkansas soccer
The draw leaves Arkansas with clear, short-term areas for correction before a marquee home test against a top-10 North Carolina side at Razorback Field on Aug. 20. The coaching staff will want to see cleaner delivery and stronger defensive marking on corners, both to convert Arkansas’ own set pieces and to prevent the kind of finish that produced Loyola’s equalizer.
From a roster and recruiting standpoint the game reinforces that Arkansas can consistently create looks and earn set-piece chances, which matters for SEC positioning and for national visibility when televised on ESPNU. The North Carolina matchup is a recruiting and exposure moment given the television window and the Tar Heels’ early-season wins over Fairfield and Quinnipiac, offering Arkansas a platform to show progress on finishing and defensive organization to current and prospective recruits.
