⚽️Lady Vols Soccer Thread

[MAD]

#8 Arkansas losing at home 0-1 to St. Louis second 1/2

 

[lvocd]

I am only just now finding out the result after a very long, busy day, and I have to admit I'm pretty disappointed. For some reason I was convinced the Lady Vols would finally get a win against the Tar Heels today. Not only did we lose, but we got skunked, and that's what's bothering me. I'd almost rather lose by 7-1 instead of 3-BAGEL. Ugh. If you score even just 1 goal you have something positive offensively to visualize if ever you meet that opponent again.

Is UNC truly that much quicker than Tennessee? Different field surface type/dimensions? Nerves, maybe?

 

[kregman]

Their depth got us. Not as bad as score looked. We definitely need to work on some things. Came out on our heels after half, but I wouldn’t be scared to play them again.

 

[MAD]

No. 11 UT Falls At No. 10 UNC, 3-0



CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 11 Tennessee dropped its season opener to No. 10 North Carolina on Thursday, falling at Dorrance Field, 3-0.

UNC's goal scorers were Aleigh Gambone, Tori Hansen and Avery Patterson.

The Lady Vols were led offensively by sophomore Taylor Huff who got off four shots, all of which were on frame. In goal, redshirt-freshman Ally Zazzara made six saves in her collegiate debut, starting in place of senior Lindsey Romig who was unavailable due to illness.

Emmie Allen and Marz Josephson split time in goal for the Tar Heels, each ending the day with four saves.

"It was a tough loss for us tonight. We're disappointed in the scoreline. We competed at a high level and created a number of quality scoring chances that we typically finish. Unfortunately, we didn't do that tonight. Give credit to North Carolina, they were committed to getting numbers in the box and finished their chances," said Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt.

"This game was great for our team; it exposed us in moments and demonstrated that we are extremely dangerous in the attacking half against one of the best teams in the country. We are looking forward to being home on Sunday against a talented SMU team."

Huff got off the first shot of the game, ripping one from the middle of the 18-yard-box just under five minutes into play.

North Carolina answered at the 6:30 mark when Dellaperuta blasted one from 12 yards out, but Zazzara was there to come up with her first official collegiate save.

The Lady Vols defense thwarted a UNC attack with 10 minutes to go in the first when Zazzara made a diving save on a shot by Emily Murphy from close range. Emerson Elgin got another opportunity off the rebound, but senior Tara Katz was there at the far post to make the goal-line save.

UNC got its first goal in the 38th minute when Ruby Grant blasted one off the cross bar and Gambone connected on the rebound to put North Carolina ahead 1-0 with seven minutes left in the half.

Huff got a quality look from 20 yards out three minutes later, but Allen came up with the save, and the Lady Vols went into the locker room trailing by one.

Redshirt-junior Jaida Thomas came out swinging in the second half, blasting one far post from 20 yards out on the right side of the field two minutes into play, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar.

Zazzara came up big in the 50th minute, making a kick save in a one-on-one situation with Dellaperuta to stop a would-be goal.

Sophomore Jordan Fusco kept the pressure up on the other end two minutes later, ripping one from the top of the box and forcing the keeper into a punch save. Then, Hannah Zaluski curved a corner kick toward the backside of the goal, forcing another save over the top, but UT was unable to capitalize.

The Tar Heels added a second goal in the 66th minute when Hansen connected on a corner kick, heading a perfectly-placed ball into the far corner.

Huff got a head on a corner and placed it on frame in the 72nd minute, but Marz batted it down it for the save.

North Carolina got its final goal in the 77th minute when Avery buried a pass from Murphy into the back of the net on a breakaway.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols return home for another Top-25 matchup, hosting #23 SMU on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on SECN+.

 

[StrangeVol]

Not what I had hoped to see, but also, not all that surprising. We were nervous and tight to start, they were pretty confident but I think the first half showed them we came to play. The yellow card on Simmonds was a joke. Also, not having our regular keeper in net, keeping our defense in order, really hurt.

As kregman said above "their depth got us." I'll go one step further and say the quality of their depth added greatly to their effectiveness, in the second half especially. Also, we got very little from our midfielders offensively. We didn't put sufficient pressure on their back four and they heavily marked our scorers as a result.

We also really missed Claudia. Do we not have anyone, other than her, than can provide good service on corners? What is it with us and corner kicks?

Our defense was pretty good...until it fell apart late. Their first goal was mostly luck, their second was a minor defensive mistake which they capitalized on, and the third was when our defenders got totally exposed going forward to get more bodies into our attack. Sometimes you get bit in the butt by that strategy but down two nil late in the match what else can you do?

I was very pleased to see our passing greatly improved from the midfield forward. Our back line still as lots of work to do.

All in all, I think we will benefit from the match as we go forward. No doubt it's a big lift to take on one of the top teams in women's soccer, on their pitch, to open the season. Great crowd that was loud and proud, too. As well they should be. North Carolina is a VERY good side. We ain't too bad either.

Onward Ladies!!!

 

[MAD]

Not what I had hoped to see, but also, not all that surprising. We were nervous and tight to start, they were pretty confident but I think the first half showed them we came to play. The yellow card on Simmons was a joke. Also, not having our regular keeper in net, keeping our defense in order, really hurt.

As kregman said above "their depth got us." I'll go one step further and say the quality of their depth added greatly to their effectiveness, in the second half especially. Also, we got very little from our midfielders offensively. We didn't put sufficient pressure on their back four and they heavily marked our scorers as a result.

We also really missed Claudia. Do we not have anyone, other than her, than can provide good service on corners? What is it with us and corner kicks?

Our defense was pretty good...until it fell apart late. Their first goal was mostly luck, their second was a minor defensive mistake which they capitalized on, and the third was when our defenders got totally exposed going forward to get more bodies into our attack. Sometimes you get bit in the butt by that strategy but down two nil late in the match what else can you do?

I was very pleased to see our passing greatly improved from the midfield forward. Our back line still as lots of work to do.

All in all, I think we will benefit from the match as we go forward. No doubt it's a big lift to take on one of the top teams in women's soccer, on their pitch, to open the season. Great crowd that was loud and proud, too. As well they should be. North Carolina is a VERY good side. We ain't too bad either.

Onward Ladies!!!

Your take describes last night match so well. Love how you have great insight on everything during a game especially the little details. I thought the same thing on the yellow card as well.

 

[MAD]

Crazy finish

 

[MAD]

 

[StrangeVol]

Thanks man...I just calls 'em like I seez 'em.

 

[MAD]

Great crowd last night for Purdue/USC



They got their money’s worth



Not a great start for Jane Alukonis.

 

[MAD]

Kameron Simmonds

 

[turbovol]

Just back from Chapel Hill, where my friends (UNC grads) and I stayed in the same (nice) hotel as the team. It had been a while since I been to UNC, and it's a very nice campus and college town. Met Claire Rain's parents--a nice couple--on the way to get a couple of brews before the game. The new UNC soccer stadium, named after Anson Dorrance, is a beauty: Seats about 4K, comfortable seat-back seats, big, impressive scoreboard---and a field that looked immaculate. The crowd was also big and impressive on a beautiful night for soccer. It was disappointing to watching the starting lineup be introduced .... and no Romig. I was told she tested for Covid sometime yesterday. That was a blow.

As for the game itself, I disagree with Strange on a couple of points. First, maybe we were a bit nervy in the first minute or two, but I think the Vols actually settled into this game quite nicely and quite quickly--and IMO, we had slightly the better of play in the first 25 minutes or so. We did a good job of defending in the middle of the field and had a few forays into their attacking third. We were extremely competitive--as we should be.

I also (politely) disagree with Strange about our midfield: In fact, our midfield posed most of our attacking threat in this game. Five of our 8 shots on goal came from the midfield, and our best scoring chance was a belter from Fusco earlyish in the second half that forced to the UNC keeper to make a great save. Huff had 4 shots--all on goal. Fusco and Huff played well: At least three of Huffs shots came when she got the ball and was able to drive into some space at the top of the box and shoot. Unfortunately, she didn't really test the keeper on any of them in the way that Fusco did--and given how well Huff can shoot, perhaps she could have done a bit better with her shot placement--but I have to look at the replay to say for sure. She also had another couple of dribbles to the top of the box and, when I thought she had room to shoot, instead laid the ball off....to players who were marked and not open and nothing came of either of them.

Our real problem offensively is that we didn't get enough out of our forwards--George and Thomas. This might be the only game I can remember in which George and Thomas were mostly ineffective. They each struggled to impact the game--though Thomas did have one shot in the second half. and George might have earned one corner, but I wouldn't swear to that. UNC is a good defensive team--maybe even very good. I think Dorrance said a few days ago that he thought this was one of his better defensive teams--and the unc centerbacks were particularly strong last night. Maycee Bell is one of the best CBs in the country--has been for a few years--and after the game Dorrance praised Bell's defensive partner, Tori Hanson, for playing brilliantly and making a lot of key challenges. UNC named Hanson as its player of the game. We tried to get the ball to our forwards in the game--but they were marked tightly and could neither find space with the ball or beat their defenders with the dribble. George ended playing only 57 minutes--which is certainly low for her. Simmonds got 27 minutes of action--and she looks to have the potential to be good: She has nice size, and is athletic. She's already helping this team.

When UNC sent in about 6 subs at the 16' mark, and we sent in, maybe, 3/4, I thought: Let's just get to the half scoreless. But then Grant was left somewhat unmarked on the right wing, lofted the ball toward goal, and it hit the crossbar, bounced down and was kicked in by Gambone and suddenly, after playing a solid first half, we were down a goal.

I thought we started the 2nd half strong as well--the first 10+ minutes or so--but the Hanson header off the UNC corner at the 65' market was huge and a turning point. She simply made a very nice play on the ball with her head to put the Heels up by 2.

I agree that Dipasupil would have helped us with her corner deliveries, had she been available to play. I think Zalusky took most--maybe all but one-of corner kicks, and a couple of her balls were less than good. Zalusky was fairly solid, overall, but certainly Dipasupil may have helped us in run of play as she is an experienced starter--but how much is hard to say. We've simply got to do a better job of converting corners into goals if the Vols want to be the team they think they can be this year. I think we came close on one corner, but that was it.

After the 2nd UNC goal, we started to fade. Whether it was because of the psychological blow of falling two behind, or just fatique, but UNC put a lot of pressure on our goal in the last 20+ minutes, and of course scored a third. It's telling that UNC had 8 shots in the first half and 16 in the second. I do think UNC's quality depth was a factor in this game, and the 'heels are a team that can wear an opponent down--Dorrance said he thought UNC wore down BYU in their last exhibition match--and they probably did the same to us. I don't think our subs played badly at all; indeed, I think Hennessey, Chatterton, Simmonds, Midgley and others can makes a serious contribution to this team---and they HAVE to.

That said, I absolutely think that we lose something defensively when Burdette is not on the field. That is not to criticize Washington, who is apparently our 2nd team defensive midfielder. I'd have to rewatch the game to see how she performed, but we are noticeably less strong defensively when Burdette is getting rest. Washington seems to have the size and athleticism to be an effective defensive midfielder--and she is still young (didn't play at all last year). She's GOT to develop and really start to show her qualities.

One big lesson from this game is that we have to finish games strongly. You never want to struggle in the last 20 minutes. It wasn't an issue last year, so there's no doubt that UNC had something to do with our late-game struggles last night.

I thought Rain and Fusco might have been our two best players last night, overall, and Huff was good. Zazzara, a RS freshman, performed admirably in goal in a very tough spot. Credit to her. It will be interesting to see if we continue to play with a back three going forward. To me, it's a bit of a risky formation when you are playing a team as good as UNC--but it does give you a chance to control the midfield, which we did at times.

We are playing what is said to be a good SMU team on Sunday (ranked preseason #20)--and this is a game where we really want and need to show out. That will be followed by Duke--another powerhouse team that will be another unc-style test. Though the Blue Devils don't play as fast as UNC does, they are very good. We should develop some mettle after these testers.

 

[MAD]

Just back from Chapel Hill, where my friends (UNC grads) and I stayed in the same (nice) hotel as the team. It had been a while since I been to UNC, and it's a very nice campus and college town. Met Claire Rain's parents--a nice couple--on the way to get a couple of brews before the game. The new UNC soccer stadium, named after Anson Dorrance, is a beauty: Seats about 4K, comfortable seat-back seats, big, impressive scoreboard---and a field that looked immaculate. The crowd was also big and impressive on a beautiful night for soccer. It was disappointing to watching the starting lineup be introduced .... and no Romig. I was told she tested for Covid sometime yesterday. That was a blow.

As for the game itself, I disagree with Strange on a couple of points. First, maybe we were a bit nervy in the first minute or two, but I think the Vols actually settled into this game quite nicely and quite quickly--and IMO, we had slightly the better of play in the first 25 minutes or so. We did a good job of defending in the middle of the field and had a few forays into their attacking third. We were extremely competitive--as we should be.

I also (politely) disagree with Strange about our midfield: In fact, our midfield posed most of our attacking threat in this game. Five of our 8 shots on goal came from the midfield, and our best scoring chance was a belter from Fusco earlyish in the second half that forced to the UNC keeper to make a great save. Huff had 4 shots--all on goal. Fusco and Huff played well: At least three of Huffs shots came when she got the ball and was able to drive into some space at the top of the box and shoot. Unfortunately, she didn't really test the keeper on any of them in the way that Fusco did--and given how well Huff can shoot, perhaps she could have done a bit better with her shot placement--but I have to look at the replay to say for sure. She also had another couple of dribbles to the top of the box and, when I thought she had room to shoot, instead laid the ball off....to players who were marked and not open and nothing came of either of them.

Our real problem offensively is that we didn't get enough out of our forwards--George and Thomas. This might be the only game I can remember in which George and Thomas were mostly ineffective. They each struggled to impact the game--though Thomas did have one shot in the second half. and George might have earned one corner, but I wouldn't swear to that. UNC is a good defensive team--maybe even very good. I think Dorrance said a few days ago that he thought this was one of his better defensive teams--and the unc centerbacks were particularly strong last night. Maycee Bell is one of the best CBs in the country--has been for a few years--and after the game Dorrance praised Bell's defensive partner, Tori Hanson, for playing brilliantly and making a lot of key challenges. UNC named Hanson as its player of the game. We tried to get the ball to our forwards in the game--but they were marked tightly and could neither find space with the ball or beat their defenders with the dribble. George ended playing only 57 minutes--which is certainly low for her. Simmonds got 27 minutes of action--and she looks to have the potential to be good: She has nice size, and is athletic. She's already helping this team.

When UNC sent in about 6 subs at the 16' mark, and we sent in, maybe, 3/4, I thought: Let's just get to the half scoreless. But then Grant was left somewhat unmarked on the right wing, lofted the ball toward goal, and it hit the crossbar, bounced down and was kicked in by Gambone and suddenly, after playing a solid first half, we were down a goal.

I thought we started the 2nd half strong as well--the first 10+ minutes or so--but the Hanson header off the UNC corner at the 65' market was huge and a turning point. She simply made a very nice play on the ball with her head to put the Heels up by 2.

I agree that Dipasupil would have helped us with her corner deliveries, had she been available to play. I think Zalusky took most--maybe all but one-of corner kicks, and a couple of her balls were less than good. Zalusky was fairly solid, overall, but certainly Dipasupil may have helped us in run of play as she is an experienced starter--but how much is hard to say. We've simply got to do a better job of converting corners into goals if the Vols want to be the team they think they can be this year. I think we came close on one corner, but that was it.

After the 2nd UNC goal, we started to fade. Whether it was because of the psychological blow of falling two behind, or just fatique, but UNC put a lot of pressure on our goal in the last 20+ minutes, and of course scored a third. It's telling that UNC had 8 shots in the first half and 16 in the second. I do think UNC's quality depth was a factor in this game, and the 'heels are a team that can wear an opponent down--Dorrance said he thought UNC wore down BYU in their last exhibition match--and they probably did the same to us. I don't think our subs played badly at all; indeed, I think Hennessey, Chatterton, Simmonds, Midgley and others can makes a serious contribution to this team---and they HAVE to.

That said, I absolutely think that we lose something defensively when Burdette is not on the field. That is not to criticize Washington, who is apparently our 2nd team defensive midfielder. I'd have to rewatch the game to see how she performed, but we are noticeably less strong defensively when Burdette is getting rest. Washington seems to have the size and athleticism to be an effective defensive midfielder--and she is still young (didn't play at all last year). She's GOT to develop and really start to show her qualities.

One big lesson from this game is that we have to finish games strongly. You never want to struggle in the last 20 minutes. It wasn't an issue last year, so there's no doubt that UNC had something to do with our late-game struggles last night.

I thought Rain and Fusco might have been our two best players last night, overall, and Huff was good. Zazzara, a RS freshman, performed admirably in goal in a very tough spot. Credit to her. It will be interesting to see if we continue to play with a back three going forward. To me, it's a bit of a risky formation when you are playing a team as good as UNC--but it does give you a chance to control the midfield, which we did at times.

We are playing what is said to be a good SMU team on Sunday (ranked preseason #20)--and this is a game where we really want and need to show out. That will be followed by Duke--another powerhouse team that will be another unc-style test. Though the Blue Devils don't play as fast as UNC does, they are very good. We should develop some mettle after these testers.

I was thinking the same thing when it got under 10 minutes in the first half, keep a a clean sheet. That goal at around 7 minutes to go was very demoralizing. Tennessee was definitely the better side for the first 30. Looking forward to Sunday.

 

[MAD]

I watched some of the Seattle match with Brooke Wilson, she was definitely their best player. All 3 players that left after last year were in their teams starting 11.

 

[kregman]

I was thinking the same thing when it got under 10 minutes in the first half, keep a a clean sheet. That goal at around 7 minutes to go was very demoralizing. Tennessee was definitely the better side for the first 30. Looking forward to Sunday.

That one hurt credit the NC player for being there but it hits the top bar drops right to the feet of the only open player in the box. It is one thing to roll in a bunch of players off the bench but quite another when most of them would be starting on other good teams. I thought we came out tight the second half but we came out all guns blazing to start the game. Sunday will tell us a lot. PS. I think Burdette send a little message with that late hard foul.

 

[MAD]

MATCH CENTRAL: #11 Tennessee vs. #23 SMU



KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The 11th-ranked Lady Vols will open the season at home on Sunday, welcoming #23 SMU for a 1 p.m. ET contest that will be streamed on SECN+.

Tennessee is coming off a tough 3-0 loss on the road to #10 UNC on Thursday. The Lady Vols were led offensively by sophomore Taylor Huff who got off four shots, all of which were on frame. In goal, redshirt-freshman Ally Zazzara made six saves in her collegiate debut, starting in place of senior Lindsey Romig who was unavailable due to illness.

SMU won its home opener with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Rice on Thursday. Julissa Cisneros and Courtney Sebazco were the goal scorers for the Mustangs.
The only time UT met the Mustangs previously was in an Oct. 4 matchup in Nashville during Tennessee's inaugural 1996 season. The Vols lost 1-0 in that contest.

UP NEXT: Tennessee will play its third straight game against a ranked opponent, welcoming #2 Duke on Thursday for a 7 p.m. ET matchup that will be broadcast on SEC Network.

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS: SMU, who tied for third in the AAC Preseason Coaches Poll, returns 20 players from last season. Of the returners, nine saw playing time and account for 21 of 28 goals scored during the 2021 campaign when the squad went 12-4-2 overall with a conference mark of 4-2-2.

TENNESSEE ON TOP: The Lady Vols were picked to finish first in the SEC as voted on by the conference's 14 head coaches. UT is coming off a 2021 campaign in which it won a program-best 20 games, clinching an SEC Tournament Championship and going 20-3 en route to the NCAA Round of 16.

SIX LADY VOLS ON SEC WATCH LIST: Fifth-year seniors Abbey Burdette and Mackenzie George, senior Lindsey Romig, redshirt-junior Jaida Thomas, junior Lawson Renie and sophomore Taylor Huff were all named to the SEC Preseason Watch List. This is Romig's third straight appearance on the watch list, while George and Thomas are making their second straight appearances.

GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN: UT returns 10 starters from the 2021 SEC Championship squad, including Second Team All-American and First Team All-Region forward Jaida Thomas, 2021 SEC Freshman of the Year Taylor Huff, and First Team All-SEC forward Mackenzie George.

YOUNG GUNS: The Lady Vols welcomed the No. 6 signing class in the nation as rated by Top Drawer Soccer. The group features nine versatile field players and one goalkeeper with five players rated inside the IMG Academy Top-150 club player rankings. Freshmen Layla Shell and Macaira Midgley enrolled in January and gained valuable experience during UT's spring season.

THE KIRT ERA: The match at UNC marked the first official contest of Joe Kirt's tenure as head coach. Kirt, who joined the Tennessee Soccer staff under Angela Kelly in 2007, was promoted to head coach in April of 2022.

 

[MAD]

Home opener against #23 SMU tomorrow! Be there & be loud!

 

[MAD]

A look at our opponent for tomorrow #23 SMU

 

[turbovol]

A few last thoughts on the North Carolina game after watching the first 70 minutes on replay:

--We were the better team in the first half, but we did not do enough with our possessions in the attacking third. We had multiple shooting
opportunities around the box; some we took, but shot poorly; others we did not take but should have. Thomas had a great shooting chance and inexplicably took an extra touch which made no sense and the chance was lost. If she hits that ball low and hard on the ground to the far post, she scores. Huff had a couple of shooting chances that that she didn't take but should have. Those that she did take, she didn't hit with enough power or place in a spot that would have tested the keeper--which surprised me because Huff can hit the ball. Simmonds also had an open shooting opportunity at the top of the box--just her and unc keeper. But she didn't hit it well--another fairly weak shot. She played well, however--and for some reason had more room to operate when she was in than either Thomas or George did. At the end of the day there are small margins in soccer--and if you don't take advantage of your chances, your opponent will.

---Our subs in the first half actually did pretty well. Yea, unc scored off that good header that hit the crossbar, and then was knocked in--but after that we dominated the last 9 minutes of the half; had unc on the back foot.

---Nelson, playing the right outside mid, was pretty ineffective and somewhat timid in the match, IMO. Not aggressive enough, not influential. She has to be better. Maybe she doesn't have a handle on her role in the 3-5-2, but she needs to be better. Chatterton, who was subbed in for Nelson, is a pretty good midfielder and might be deserving of more minutes. She made a nice physical challenge on a nc player at one point. Being physical is how challenges are won. Vols need the outside mids to be better.

---Katz was very active, as usual--and saved a goal off the line in the first half--but as a defender she gives the ball too much room and is not physical. Defenders have to be willing to physically challenge the opponent with the ball. On offense, she is quick enough and good enough to break a defensive line and get the ball up the field--and IMO she could have done that on some occasions when we were getting pressed deep in our own end, but didn't. Not a poor performance, by any stretch, but she can play better.

--Rain was good overall, but had a few poor passing decisions and passing errors. She is very good about stepping in, intercepting passes and going forward with the ball--but then you've got to make a good pass, find an open player. She'll be fine.

--It's early in the season but tomorrow is really a big game. Let's play well, shoot better, defend a bit better, score goals.

 

[MAD]

 

[lvocd]

I enjoyed the detailed look-backs on the UNC game, guys. I still haven't actually seen it, but I almost feel like I did. Soccer wasn't yet a thing in the South when I was growing up and playing multiple sports all year round, so I've had to learn what little I do know as an adult with no experience playing it myself. As someone who learns from doing, it has been an ongoing struggle. I still don't understand offsides!

 

[MAD]

VFL Brooke Wilson

 

[MAD]

I enjoyed the detailed look-backs on the UNC game, guys. I still haven't actually seen it, but I almost feel like I did. Soccer wasn't yet a thing in the South when I was growing up and playing multiple sports all year round, so I've had to learn what little I do know as an adult with no experience playing it myself. As someone who learns from doing, it has been an ongoing struggle. I still don't understand offsides!

 

[lvocd]

View attachment 482383

 

[MAD]

We've got a Top-25 matchup on Rocky Top!
Rally towels for the first 500 fans!

#23 SMU vs. #11 Tennessee (W Soccer) | Watch ESPN

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