Arkansas soccer nets transfers from Gonzaga, Utah
The Arkansas soccer team and head coach Colby Hale announced the addition of two transfers on Friday.
Forward Kate Doyle joins the Razorbacks after four seasons at Gonzaga. Doyle had 16 goals in her career at Gonzaga to go with 12 assists and 44 points. She had six game-winning goals.
Doyle netted seven goals in an injury-shortened season in 2023. She scored in all six games she played after totaling three goals and six assists in 2022 while being named an All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention. Doyle was named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team in 2021.
“I felt like the opportunity to play for one of the best teams in the nation and challenge myself to compete at this level was something I couldn’t pass up,” Doyle said in a news release via the Arkansas athletics department. “Talking with the coaches made me feel it would be a great fit in terms of play style and my values as a player,”
Arkansas also landed freshman midfielder Audrey Shackelford, who joined the Razorbacks after enrolling early at Utah. Shackelford played for San Juan SC in the Elite Club National League. She was named an ECNL All-Conference player.
“I chose the University of Arkansas because of their winning mentality and competitive atmosphere. The coaches are awesome and will push me to be the best player and person I can be,” Shakelford said in the athletic department’s news release.
Arkansas went 15-5-2 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament a season ago before losing to Pitt, 4-3. The Razorbacks went 3-0-1 in their spring exhibition schedule, which concluded on April 14 with a 2-2 tie against Baylor.
