⚽️Lady Vols Soccer Thread

MATCH CENTRAL: No. 6 UT vs. No. 15 WSU (NCAA Second Round)

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- No. 6 Tennessee will face off with No. 15 Washington State in the NCAA Second Round on Friday, kicking off at 2 p.m. ET at U-M Soccer Stadium. The match will be streamed on BTN+.

The Vols, a No. 3 seed, advanced to the second round with a comfortable 3-0 win over in-state foe Lipscomb on Friday. With the win, UT improved to 19-2-0 on the year, setting a new single-season program record for wins and tying the program record for shutouts at 12.

WSU has a record of 14-2-4 and finished third in the PAC-12. In their last outing, the Cougs defeated Montana at home, 3-0.

Tennessee has played the Cougs only three times previously for a record of 0-1-2. The last time the two squads faced off was at a neutral site in the NCAA Second Round in 2017 when the teams tied 2-2 with WSU advancing on penalty kicks, 3-1.

The winner of Friday's contest will continue on to the NCAA Sweet 16 on Sunday to face the winner of ninth-ranked No. 2 seed Michigan and Wake Forest.

NCAA BY THE NUMBERS: Tennessee is making its 13th overall NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001. UT is 15-10-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 6-2 in NCAA Second Round matches. The Vols have reached the Sweet 16 six times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2018).
#6/NO. 3 SEED HISTORY- Under the current NCAA Tournament format, only four teams have been a sixth-ranked No. 3 seed - Tennessee (2021), UCLA (2012), Oklahoma St. (2010), and Cal (2005). Of those, UT entered with the best overall record at 18-2-0.

VS RANKED OPPONENTS: Tennessee is undefeated this season when facing ranked opponents, previously taking wins over #5 Arkansas, #11 Auburn, #19 South Carolina, and #21 Ole Miss.

OUTSIDE THE SEC: The Vols have not given up a goal to a non-conference foe this season, outscoring opponents 28-0 to post a record of 8-0-0.

CRUNCH TIME HUFF: All nine of freshman Taylor Huff's goals have come in the second half, and four of those have come in the 85th minute or later.

THOMAS ALWAYS DANGEROUS: Jaida Thomas' 13 goals have been spread evenly throughout matches with six coming in the first half and seven in the second. Her fastest goal was just 1:39 into the game against FGCU, and she has twice scored in the 89th-minute (Florida and Georgia).

SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES: Junior Cariel Ellis scored her second goal of the 2021 campaign against the Bisons. She is shooting 100 percent on the season, scoring two goals on two shots.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING: UT has the second-best overall win percentage in the nation and ranks second in corner kicks per game (8.95), ninth in shot per game (19.67), and 11th in shots on goal per game (9.19).
 
UT's success this year has been driven by an effective high press and strong midfield play. We've been good /very good at keeping opponents bottled up in their own defensive half, disrupting their rhythm and winning the ball. This has enabled us to play on the front foot, mostly--getting corner kicks and getting balls into the box, which can lead to goals. We'll obviously want--and need--to do the same thing tomorrow to be successful. Midfield play will be key, as it usually is in soccer.

While we've had incredible success earning corner kicks--mostly thanks to the tireless work of M. George, our conversion (scoring) rate on corners was terrible for most of the year. We had games in which we had 14 or so corner kicks and no goals. That's a LOT of lost opportunities. But we got better late in the season--started scoring some goals. Lawson Renie--whose switch to centerback has been one of many keys to UT's success this year--has got her head on a number of corner-kick deliveries but has yet to put one in the net. Maybe tomorrow! She's due. Wren French has really made a point of going up and after corners in recent weeks--she was a beast in the first half of the Arkansas/SEC Championship match and of course scored the first (and winning) goal with a corner-kick header. Corner-kick numbers are often a sign of which team is controlling play. Let it be us.
 
link says free but wants you to pay for a subscription in order to access 🥲
It may not work but on the firestick app it seemed like it was going to work so maybe it will across platforms when it starts. Free has to mean something right? :) I will draw the line on paying for a BIG Ten subscription since I have the Big Ten network in my tv package.
 
Local weather says it will be around 40 degrees during the match with winds at 6 to 8 mph. Not as bad as I had feared but still pretty dang cold. It will be especially hard on our Keeper and the coaches and players on the sideline. Hope nobody gets their butt frozen off! :)
 
Local weather says it will be around 40 degrees during the match with winds at 6 to 8 mph. Not as bad as I had feared but still pretty dang cold. It will be especially hard on our Keeper and the coaches and players on the sideline. Hope nobody gets their butt frozen off! :)

Back in the day we called that weather "crisp!" :cool:

Actually the forecast concerns me. They need to get and stay hydrated because cold conditions can deceive players resulting in leg cramps and muscle fatigue. GBO!
 
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Where are all the second-round games being played? While our players are freezing their buns off in frigid Michigan, are other games going to be played in much warmer areas? Sure doesn't seem fair.
 
Where are all the second-round games being played? While our players are freezing their buns off in frigid Michigan, are other games going to be played in much warmer areas? Sure doesn't seem fair.
Thank the NCAA for shafting us on the seeding.
 
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Local weather says it will be around 40 degrees during the match with winds at 6 to 8 mph. Not as bad as I had feared but still pretty dang cold. It will be especially hard on our Keeper and the coaches and players on the sideline. Hope nobody gets their butt frozen off! :)
Get an idea how cold it is…

 
Where are all the second-round games being played? While our players are freezing their buns off in frigid Michigan, are other games going to be played in much warmer areas? Sure doesn't seem fair.

Oh in such chilly places as St. Petersberg, FL, Durham, NC, Washington, D.C., Fayetteville, AR, and Piscataway, NJ.

Thanks, NCAA.
 
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