Tennessee lost its first match in nearly two months, getting beat by the No. 6 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks 5-0 in Fayetteville.

 The Lady Vols (7-2-3, 2-1-2 SEC) never had a chance to compete with the Razorbacks (10-1-1, 5-1 SEC) after the high-flying Arkansas offense took hold of the game. The Lady Vols had no answers, letting up four goals in the first 32 minutes of the game.

The four-goal first half was devastating for Tennessee. For comparison, they had only let up four goals in their previous four SEC matchups this season.

Here’s a look at how it went down Thursday night.

Arkansas controls the first half

From the opening whistle, the Razorbacks took control of the game, delivering a relentless first half on offense.

Arkansas opened scoring in the 10th minute. Kelsey Oyler delivered a beautiful service inside the box to set her team up well. Anaiyah Robinson capitalized on the opportunity, finishing the score after a tap by Kate Doyle.

Just 19 seconds later, the Razorbacks found their second score of the night. Robinson found the back post from the right side of the box for her second score of the first half.

The onslaught didn’t stop there.

In the 20th minute, Jailyn Brownlee found the ball in front of the goal after a free kick from the midline by Macy Schultz. Brownlee’s goal put Arkansas up 3-0 over the Lady Vols.

The final score of the first half came from Ella Rogers in the 32nd minute. Taking a header from Kennedy Ball, she put the ball away from goalie Ally Zazzara to secure the 4-0 lead.

Although the Razorbacks only had three more shots than the Lady Vols in the first half, their efficiency was unrivaled. 

Stiff second half 

After an offensive flood in the first half, the second half was a lot calmer for both teams.

Possession was a point of emphasis for Tennessee, and while it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback effort, it helped its defensive efforts tremendously. 

Tennessee’s defense stiffened in the last 45 minutes. Although they gave up 12 shots, they only conceded a single goal. Goalie Zazzara had a hectic second half, saving seven of Arkansas’ eight shots on goal.

Offensively the Lady Vols still struggled. They attempted only six shots after halftime, one more than their first-half total. Four of the six shots were on goal, and all of them were saved by the Razorbacks.

Up next

Following the blowout loss in Fayetteville, the Lady Vols will return home with aspirations of bouncing back and finishing the season strong. Their next challenge will be the No. 14 Auburn Tigers at home for senior night on Sunday.

After the home matchup, the Lady Vols finish the season on the road. Next week they will travel to Athens to face the Bulldogs for a crucial SEC matchup. The Lady Vols will round out their schedule as a visitor, taking on South Carolina, Kentucky and Florida. 

With the postseason quickly approaching, the Lady Vols will look to right the ship and head into the playoffs with momentum.