⚽️ Tennessee Lady Vols Soccer

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Layla Shell, former Vol now playing at Brown. I believe she redshirted as a freshman, left after that.

 

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Zazzara Registers 100 Career Saves as #25 Tennessee Ties Vandy​

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –
Tennessee goalkeeper Ally Zazzara shined bright during Tennessee's 1-1 draw against Vanderbilt, earning her 100th career save.

Zazzara came up big for the Lady Vols with a season-high 11 saves, one of which came on a penalty kick in the 12th minute.

Her final save of the night came on a free kick in the 90th minute that secured the tie for Tennessee (6-1-3) to extend its unbeaten streak to nine matches.

Junior midfielder Mac Midgley gave UT its lone goal of the night, as Reese Mattern dished out the assist.

Both Tennessee and Vanderbilt were unable to find the back of the net in the opening frame

With the win over Vandy, the Lady Vols went unbeaten against its in-state opponents for the regular season.

In the first half, Vanderbilt took more shots on goal but couldn't breach the Big Orange's defense with Zazzara making five saves.

The Commodores came out hot in the second half and quickly registered a goal in the 56th minute via Sydney Watts.

Tennessee responded in the 83rd minute with the equalizer from Midgley that came on the heels of a dangerous cross from Mattern.

The Commodores were able to create one more chance in the final minute with a free kick, but Zazzara came up clutch once again and defended the net.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will face off against Missouri at 7 pm on Friday, Oct. 4th at Regal Stadium.

Watch WSOC I Joe Kirt Postgame vs Vanderbilt (9.29.24) - Stream Women's Soccer Online - Sep. 29 6:29 P.M. ET - SportsLive

Watch WSOC I Joe Kirt Postgame vs Vanderbilt (9.29.24) on Sep. 29 6:29 P.M. ET. SportsLive brings you games and exclusive video coverage for some of the biggest names in prep, college and professional sports.

www.collegesportslive.com

Watch WSOC I Ally Zazzara & Mac Midgley Postgame vs Vanderbilt (9.29.24) - Stream Women's Soccer Online - Sep. 29 6:26 P.M. ET - SportsLive

Watch WSOC I Ally Zazzara & Mac Midgley Postgame vs Vanderbilt (9.29.24) on Sep. 29 6:26 P.M. ET. SportsLive brings you games and exclusive video coverage for some of the biggest names in prep, college and professional sports.

www.collegesportslive.com

 

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Is that the position you played?

No, I wish! I was very petite, more Mac Midgely-sized and played an attacking center mid role. Occasionally played on the the outside in the midfield because, while I was small, I never minded running.

 

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No, I wish! I was very petite, more Mac Midgely-sized and played an attacking center mid role. Occasionally played on the the outside in the midfield because, while I was small, I never minded running.

That is so cool, love hearing your perspective on the Lady Vols. What were some of your favorite soccer playing memories?

 

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Does it make that much of a difference?


ECNL seems to be the one pushing this the hardest. As of now they are voting to go back to School Year but ECNL cannot stand alone with this rule change.

They need U.S Soccer Approval and the other club leagues to be behind it too.

A survey has been sent out and meetings are being held and for what we have gathered, a lot of Club Directors don’t believe it will be approved as there is no real desire from U.S Club soccer to change it again.

 

[brittannica]

Does it make that much of a difference?


ECNL seems to be the one pushing this the hardest. As of now they are voting to go back to School Year but ECNL cannot stand alone with this rule change.

They need U.S Soccer Approval and the other club leagues to be behind it too.

A survey has been sent out and meetings are being held and for what we have gathered, a lot of Club Directors don’t believe it will be approved as there is no real desire from U.S Club soccer to change it again.

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It's interesting. I always played up a year because we thought playing against bigger, faster players would make me better. My cousins played baseball at the collegiate level and played down a year because they thought they would stand out more against younger competition.

 

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Hope Tennessee has a chance to make up that Florida game. A win there and the Lady Vols would be sitting in third place in the SEC standings.



Also we dropped out of the Top 25 which is surprising since Tennessee hasn’t lost yet in SEC play.

 

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Mac Midgley keeps Tennessee soccer alive in SEC matchup​

• Tyler Edmands, Contributor

Mac Midgley (20) gets the upper hand in a chase for the ball against Vanderbilt at Regal Soccer Stadium. Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024.
Bailey Beller / Contributor
Tennessee soccer fought hard on Sunday afternoon, drawing with Vanderbilt in a 1-1 at Regal Stadium. The Lady Vols (6-1-3) had a less-than-ideal game but were able to hang with the Commodores (5-2-4) until the final horn.

Tennessee knew what type of opponent they were facing in the Commodores: a team boasting a high-powered offense that could capitalize on their many opportunities. The Commodores entered the contest averaging 18 shots per game alongside a staggering 2.5 goals.

“We didn’t respond very well,” Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt said. “We’ve got to look at what we got wrong, but we also had some individual responsibility issues. We’ve got to look at it as a coaching staff and figure out how we can be better and help them.”


Though the Lady Vols were prepared to deal with Vanderbilt’s aggression, they simply could not stop it. The Commodores flooded the Lady Vols early in the game, notching four shots on goal in the first 12 minutes. This early challenge served as a sign of what was in store for the Lady Vols in the contest.

Goalie Ally Zazzara faced two more shots in the remaining 33 minutes, totaling 6 saves in the first half.

The Lady Vols, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to get things moving offensively. The lone shot of the half came from Ally Brown, who pushed a header too far left in the 39th minute.

Although it seemed like Vanderbilt had dominated the first half, the score was knotted at 0-0 after 45 minutes of play. The Commodores led the Lady Vols in almost every statistic, but most notably leading total shots ten to one.

In the second half, the Lady Vols showed signs of life, but this didn’t last long.

A bad Mac Midgley pass went to Vanderbilt’s Sydney Watts. This set her up with an easy shot for the opening score of the game in the 56th minute.


“The goal that we gave up was pretty much entirely on me,” Midgley said. “I had a really bad pass and put our defense in a poor spot they capitalized on it.”

The Vanderbilt score sent the Lady Vols scrambling, and they needed to make something work on offense to avoid dropping a conference game.

Midgley attempted Tennessee’s third shot of the afternoon in the 63rd minute, taking a pass from Sammi Woods inside the box. She could not convert the attempt, sending it high and leaving the score at 1-0 with Vanderbilt on top.

“I was kicking myself over that one,” Midgley said. “I was really frustrated, honestly. I think the team helps me bounce back from that because they come up to you and they tell you to snap out of it.”

The game remained a 1-0 contest until a breakthrough for the Lady Vols as time was winding down.

In the 83rd minute, Midgley got redemption. Reese Mattern beat her defender and launched a beautiful cross into the box. The ball popped out near Midgley, and she netted her second attempt of the night to the back post, knotting the score at 1-1.

“Mac’s been really good in front of goal, and she’s done it consistently,” Kirt said. “We trust her in those situations, and she doesn’t miss twice.”

Neither team scored in the remaining seven minutes, and the Lady Vols survived despite an offensive no-show. The tie moved the Lady Vols to 1-0-2 in the division. Tennessee’s next challenge will be on Friday when they host the Missouri Tigers at home.

 

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My personal opinion, Jack Church writes the best articles on the Lady Vols ​

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Ally Zazzara earns 100th career save in draw against Vanderbilt​

• Jack Church, Senior Staff Writer

Ally Zazzara (32) aiding her team by calling out plays against Vanderbilt at Regal Soccer Stadium. Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024
Bailey Beller/Contributor
With 30 seconds left, Tennessee soccer needed one more save.

Vanderbilt won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, and with the match tied 1-1, Ally Zazzara needed one last play to give Tennessee a draw and another point in the SEC standings.

With the free kick going toward the top corner, Zazzara got a glove to it, pushing it over the crossbar. With her 100th save, she saved Tennessee’s point against Vanderbilt.


For the past two seasons, Zazzara has consistently made saves when her team needed them. After taking over the starting job during last season, Zazzara continued to excel.

“It’s unreal,” Tennessee midfielder Mac Midgley said. “I think it’s really nice knowing you have such a consistent goalkeeper who is the anchor of the team.”

This season, Zazzara sports an .833 save percentage and has allowed just five goals in the first 10 games of Tennessee’s season. She has not been on the losing end of a match since Tennessee’s opener against Indiana where she allowed just one goal.

On the other side of the pitch, Tennessee’s offense could only muster limited opportunities and one goal. Zazzara’s play at the other end was why Tennessee didn’t end its nine match unbeaten run.

“She kept us in the game and allowed us to salvage a point out of not a great day from our team,” Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt said. “Their resilience and perseverance shone through.”

When Tennessee is attacking and trying to find Zazzara an equalizer, she has no influence on the play. She stands 50 yards back or more hoping her hard work pays off with a result.

While she’s back there, she’s the attack’s biggest supporter. On Sunday, Midgley earned that support with her late equalizer.

“I sit back there just hoping and praying because there’s only so much I can do in that half of the field,” Zazzara said. “So I sit there cheering them on.”


Winning the matchup of goalkeepers

Eleven minutes in, Tennessee’s defense conceded a penalty. Vanderbilt goalkeeper Kate Devine came from the other side of the pitch to take it, putting more pressure on Zazzara.

“No goalkeeper likes to be scored on,” Zazzara said. “It’s hard to save another goalkeeper’s PK because you know that they know what you’re thinking.”

In the head-to-head matchup between the two goalkeepers, Devine aimed to Zazzara’s right. The redshirt junior followed it all the way, making the save and keeping the game tied.

Although it’s still just a penalty kick, having pride over the other goalkeeper still matters. With the save, Zazzara won that mental battle.

“It does make it a little bit more of a one versus one mentality,” Kirt said. “Me against you. She did a great job and made a great save, one of many tonight.”

In any situation, Tennessee expects Zazzara to make a save. She earned that trust from the rest of the team and reciprocates that trust, putting in standout performances on a repeated basis.

Last season, that standout performance came in the NCAA Tournament against Xavier. Zazzara made 15 saves in 110 minutes of play, earning a shutout and helping the Lady Vols advance to the second round.

To get a draw against Vanderbilt, she needed to make 11 saves. She did just that.

“When a PK comes, you know she’s going to save it,” Midgley said. “When shots are fired, you know she’s going to save them. That makes you a lot more comfortable in trusting her and organizing from the back up.”