Although the Razorbacks did their part to advance by defeating the University of Central Florida by a 6-2 score on Thursday, the team did not have luck on its side. Both Adrian and Arkansas finished pool play with identical 2-1 records, but the Hogs did not advance because—per the ACHA tie-breaker rules—Adrian allowed fewer goals during pool play than did Arkansas (a two goal differential). Arkansas therefore ends its season with an overall 31-8-0 record. Looking back, the season was a memorable one loaded with highlights including a sixteen game win streak, a victory over a nationally ranked Division I opponent, a fifth regular season SEC conference title, a fourth SEC playoff championship, and two victories at Nationals. Of particular note within that impressive list are (1) the victory over the University of Central Oklahoma, and (2) the National Tournament wins — both are program firsts.
As the season winds down, Arkansas says goodbye to graduating seniors Johnny Stromp (#91), Martin Sundstedt (#24), Justin McDowell (#19), and Tyler Bynum (#10). For their parts, McDowell and Stromp played for the Razorbacks for five seasons and participated in nearly all of the program’s 132 wins over that span. Both durable and talented forwards were staples in the Arkansas lineup for years. Stromp will graduate this spring with a business degree. McDowell is the only graduate student on the Hogs’ roster and will continue pursuing his degree in counseling.
Sundstedt transferred to Arkansas as a sophomore after a season at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. In his three years since then, Sundstedt served as both an assistant captain and, this season, co-captain of the Razorbacks. He is the only player in the SEC who has been twice recognized as conference MVP and, during that same span, has also earned first team all-conference honors. Sundstedt will graduate with a degree in management. Bynum finishes his time with the program after three productive seasons. He joined the Hogs out of the Tulsa Rampage junior program and will graduate this spring with a business degree.
As we say goodbye to four seniors, we are excited to introduce our new recruiting class. Stay tuned during the off-season for stories about the newest incoming Hogs who will compete for a roster spot in August. Thank you again to all of our fantastic fans for a memorable season.
