Alabama
9-1-0, 2-0-0
Arkansas
3-4-1, 1-1-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alabama | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Alabama Shuts Out Arkansas, 2-0, in Friday's SEC Home Opener
9/18/2026 11:33:00 PM | Soccer
The Crimson Tide posted its sixth shutout of the season, its second in SEC play
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama soccer posted its sixth clean sheet of the season and its second in SEC play Friday night with a 2-0 shutout over Arkansas in the Crimson Tide's SEC home opener at the Alabama Soccer Stadium.
Alabama (9-1-0, 2-0-0 SEC) prevailed past an aggressive Arkansas (3-4-1, 1-1-0 SEC) team, with SEC Defensive Player of the Week Madi Munguia matching her season high with five saves to help earn her sixth shutout of the season. Her six shutouts put her in a four-way tie for fifth in program season history, four behind record-holder McKinley Crone's 10 from the 2022 season.
Larkin Thomason opened the scoring for the Tide, finding the net off a header in the 34th minute for her team-leading eighth goal of the year off a lob pass from Olivia Belcher. With the score still 1-0 in the 74th minute, Reece Ward made it a 2-0 game with an Olympic goal out of the corner kick, her first goal of the season.
From Head Coach Wes Hart
"I keep saying this each week, but this is a gritty group that finds ways to win, and Arkansas is not an easy team to play against. They provide a different challenge than most teams. They are direct and combative. We knew we couldn't just play their style and beat them at their game. I thought we had a good balance of being tough, physical and scrappy while also finding times to turn it into a soccer game. I think that was key."
Highlights
- Alabama's nine wins through its first 10 games are the most in program history, besting the 8-1-1 start in 2022 and the 8-2-0 starts in both 1987 and 1994
- The shutout was Madi Munguia's sixth of the season, putting her in a four-way tie for fifth in UA season history and four shy of record-holder McKinley Crone (10 – 2022)
- Larkin Thomason improved her team lead with her eighth goal of the year, which ranks fourth in the SEC
- The Tide's win came in front of a season-high crowd of 1,406, Alabama's highest since Sept. 22, 2024 against Tennessee (1,672)
Scoring Summary
- 34' | Larkin Thomason headed the ball for a one-hopper into the bottom right corner (1-0)
- 74' | Reece Ward sliced the ball off a corner kick over the keeper for an Olympic goal (2-0)
Up Next
- Thursday, Sept. 24 at Texas A&M – College Station, Texas – 7 p.m. CT
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Larkin Thomason (8)
Assisted By: Olivia Belcher
GOAL by ALA Thomason, Larkin Assist by Belcher, Olivia.
33:11
Reece Ward (1)
GOAL by ALA Ward, Reece.
73:25
