Reese Mattern scores first career goal in Tennessee soccer’s win over ETSU
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Reese Mattern joined Tennessee soccer with high expectations.
The freshman forward was a major part of Tennessee’s class of 2024 and was put straight into the starting lineup in Tennessee’s season opener at Indiana. She recorded one shot against the Hoosiers and four in the next game against Chattanooga but was still looking for the first goal of her college career.
She got that goal against East Tennessee State on Thursday.
Mattern found a ball from Mac Midgley inside ETSU’s penalty area and buried it to the goalkeeper’s right, giving the Lady Vols a 1-0 win over the Buccaneers.
“Toward the end of the half, we needed to find the back of the net,” Mattern said. “This whole game, we had a lot of opportunities in the box. So when I had the moment to finish, I took it.”
Tennessee put plenty of pressure on ETSU’s defense, but it couldn’t finish in the first half. The Lady Vols recorded seven shots in the first half but couldn’t find the finish they needed to take the lead.
As minutes ticked by in the second half, Tennessee’s whole team felt the pressure to get a goal. When Mattern had the opportunity, she found Tennessee’s only goal of the match.
“The pressure of finding the back of the net obviously means a lot,” Mattern said. “When we get the opportunities, we need to finish.”
Even with the win, the Lady Vols still need to improve in front of goal. On 14 shots, Tennessee only put five on target, with only Mattern’s shot finding its way into the net.
Despite Tennessee’s effort in working on finishing, that aspect of play didn’t fully translate into success on Thursday.
“It’s a finishing touch,” Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt said. “We spent a lot of time working on it yesterday, just time in front of goal. We’ve got to be able to execute under pressure in these moments.”
Mattern comes into a Tennessee team with 17 new players, including 10 freshmen. She is the only first-year player already trusted with a place in Tennessee’s starting lineup, a testament to her play in preseason and early this season.
The Charlottesville, Virginia native brings a unique skill set to the Lady Vols with speed and finishing on the front line of Tennessee’s attack.
“As a freshman, it’s hard to come in and adjust, and I think Reese has done that really well,” Midgley said. “She’s obviously the fastest person on the team, so it’s nice. She puts a lot of pressure on other people’s back lines. She makes us better at practice and steps up in games when we need her.”
On a team with Jaida Thomas and Kate Runyon, Mattern has made a name for herself as a major part of Tennessee’s forward unit. Kirt trusts her to have a place in his team and attack opponents continuously, eventually leading to opportunities on goal for herself and her teammates.
On Thursday, Kirt’s trust in Mattern paid off.
“She continues to gain confidence in terms of her own movements, the timing of her movements and her connection with the players around her,” Kirt said. “She’s gaining confidence in everything she’s doing, and she’s a goal scorer. So she found a way to do that tonight with getting all that pressure on goal.”
Jenna Chatterton out for season
After an injury in Sunday’s win over Chattanooga, Jenna Chatterton will not return during the 2024 season.
The senior midfielder only featured in three games last season due to injury. This year, she will only feature in two contests before seeing her season end.
“It’s been a tough road back after last year and certainly not the way we wanted this year to go for her,” Kirt said. “She’s a resilient individual. She’s passionate about our team and she makes it about them all the time.”