A Trailblazer for Razorback Soccer

FAYETTEVILLE – In her three-year career with the Arkansas soccer program, Denise Brown had four game-winning goals, scored 15 total goals and had 35 total points as the Razorbacks won a combined 25 matches.

She helped Arkansas advance to the finals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in 1993 and ’94, and had a big senior season with three game-winning goals.

One of the first Razorbacks to earn All-SEC honors, she was a first-team selection in 1993 and ’94 for head coach Janet Rayfield. Brown joins Honey Marsh (1993, 1994) as the only two Razorbacks to earn a spot on the first team more than once.

In just 16 games as a senior, all starts in 1994, she led the team with eight goals and 17 points, and added one assist. She had game-winning scores against Mercer, Oral Roberts and Tulsa. In the 4-0 win at ORU on Oct. 18, 1994, she scored three times for a rare hat trick.

Brown also scored against Florida International, Vanderbilt and Colorado College, helping the Razorbacks finish 7-11-2.

In 1992 for head coach Marcia McDermott, she played in 13 games off the bench, but was fourth on the team with three goals, including one game-winner, fourth with two assists and fifth with eight points. Arkansas finished 8-8-1 with wins over Texas A&M, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

In 1993, she started all 20 games and was fifth on the squad with four goals, sixth with two assists and fifth with 10 points. A member of the SEC all-tournament squad, she helped the Razorbacks knock off Texas A&M, SMU, Washington, Oregon State, North Carolina State and Auburn on the way to a 10-10 finish, which at the time tied the school record for wins in a season.

Her career totals included 49 games with 36 starts, 15 goals in 85 shots, five assists, 35 points and four game-winning scores.

A member of the university honor roll, her three game-winners in 1994 still tie for sixth on the school’s all-time list. Her four career game-winners tie for eighth-best in Razorback history.

Brown’s six points for the hat trick at ORU are the fourth-most in UA history for a single game and the three goals tie for second-most.

Her 10 points in 1993 helped Arkansas score 150 for the season, which is still a school record. The 1993 club also holds the record with 7.50 points per game and 2.85 goals per game.