Lady Vols⚽️#23 Tennessee @ Alabama 7PM Sunday 9/22 ESPNU
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Lady Vols Play #7 South Carolina To 1-1 Draw
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A goal by freshman Kate Runyon led Tennessee to a 1-1 draw at No. 7 South Carolina on Sunday.
The teams were evenly matched with UT (6-2-2, 1-1-1 SEC) taking 16 shots and putting five on frame, while the Gamecocks (7-1-3, 1-0-2 SEC) managed 19 shots with six on goal.
Runyon started in place of sophomore Kameron Simmonds, who is on national team duty with Jamaica, and netted her third goal of the season in the 76th minute. Redshirt-freshman Abby Reisz made the start in goal for the Big Orange, tallying three saves, while redshirt-sophomore Ally Zazzara took over in the second half and logged two.
South Carolina's goal came by way of a penalty kick by Catherine Barry in the 87th minute. In the net, Heather Hinz collected four saves for the Gamecocks.
Reisz made a pair of saves in the first 15 minutes to shut down South Carolina's attack, and in the 16th minute, junior Jordan Fusco countered, getting open and ripping a blast from 20 yards out, but a USC defender got a head on it to knock it high.
Freshman Sarah Greiner got a look from eight yards out with a little over two minutes left in the half, settling a loose ball and blasting it at the net, but sending it just over the crossbar, and the game went into the break tied at zero.
Just over 10 minutes into the second half, sophomore Macaira Midgley beat a defender to the endline and played a ball back across the box to find graduate Sizzy Lawton, who hammered a shot at the goal, but Hinz made the diving save.
Zazzara came to the top of the box to shut down a one-on-one breakaway by Shae O'Rourke in the 59th minute, and the Tennessee defense cleared the ball away to kill the USC scoring opportunity.
In the 70th minute, Fusco got another chance, driving up the center of the field and placing a ball on frame, but Hinz collected the save.
Six minutes later, Runyon scored her second goal in as many games, taking on three defenders before blasting a ball low and past the USC keeper from 10 yards out to give the Lady Vols a one-goal advantage.
Barry got the equalizer from the penalty mark in the 87th minute, placing a ball low and into the right side netting, and the 1-1 scoreline stood through the final whistle.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will remain on the road, traveling to Mississippi State for an 8:30 p.m. ET matchup on Friday.
FRESHMAN ON FIRE: Kate Runyon has tallied goals in UT's last two contests to move into a tie with graduate Sizzy Lawton for second on the team scoring (3) and total points (7).
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Tennessee soccer comes away with draw at South Carolina
Tennessee soccer was able to hold on and get a valuable point after a late South Carolina comeback attempt that led to a 1-1 draw with the Gamecocks.
The Lady Vols (6-2-2, 1-1-1 SEC) were impressive throughout as they faced stiff competition in the No. 7 Gamecocks (7-1-3, 1-0-2 SEC).
Somewhat unbelievably, the first half ended scoreless, despite relentless attacking intent from both teams.
Each team’s attacking style was on full display, as Tennessee looked to press high and turn the ball over, while the Gamecocks looked to counter throughout.
The SEC teams both created good chances, with the Lady Vols continuing their trend of high shooting output, with eight first half shots. South Carolina was able to create seven shots, mostly through their counter attacking and quick transition play.
Both goalkeepers played their part in keeping the first half scoreless. Abby Reisz was unflappable in net for Tennessee, and was able to repel every shot that came her way, making three big saves. The Gamecocks’ Heather Hinz was also able to keep a first half clean sheet, making one save.
Once again, the Lady Vols wing backs were crucial in attack and the high press, this time featuring in a more inverted position. Both Ally Brown and Linette Hoffman helped to turn the ball over consistently and provide width for the attackers, as they each came inside during Tennessee attacks.
Unfortunately, Brown went down with an injury late in the first half and was unable to continue.
The second half continued in similar fashion to the first.
Each team was aggressive and searched for the opener, but it was South Carolina who was able to impose their will more frequently.
Had it not been for goalkeeper Ally Zazzara, the Gamecocks would have had the opener. 60 minutes into the game Zazzara, the half time substitute, made a sliding tackle on the on rushing Shae O’Rourke just outside the Tennessee box.
O’Rourke was dangerous throughout, and was aided by impressive performances from Catherine Barry and Corinna Zullo.
Zullo was increasingly influential in the second half, with her flair and trickery presenting problems for the Tennessee back line.
Despite the Gamecocks' pressure, it was the Lady Vols who struck first.
In the 75th minute Kate Runyon made it goals in back-to-back games as she muscled through the South Carolina defenders and finished an impressive solo run with an impressive finish.
The freshman took her opportunity and finished coolly to cap off another strong performance.
With just minutes left in the game, the Gamecocks were awarded a penalty after a foul by Jordan Fusco in the 86th minute.
Barry stepped up quickly and dispatched the penalty with ease, sending Zazzara the wrong way. South Carolina moved quickly and signaled their intent to find the winner.
Carrying all the momentum, the Gamecocks nearly found the lead after chaos in the Tennessee box. However, the South Carolina comeback proved too late as the game ended in a draw.
The Lady Vols travel to Starkville on Friday to face Mississippi State.
Just watched the first half. We played well in what was a surprisingly open half, with both teams going up and down the field. The midfield and outside backs played well.. We moved the ball and got it nicely into the attacking third a lot. The problem, as the broadcast analyst pointed out, is that we're just not ruthless enough in the attacking third--for a variety of reasons. We get shots but miss the net; we have the ball with potential shooting opportunities but can't create enough space to get a shot past a defender in front; we don't shoot off the one-touch when we should--opting to take a second touch and the chance is gone; our crosses are just not accurate enough, etc. etc. Greiner had a great opportunity in front of goal but rushed the shot and missed. Runyon is doing well but failed to pass the ball to a wide open Lawton on the left, instead trying to muscle past the defenders. And South Carolina's defense was a factor in our futility: They are very good at getting defenders back in numbers and in front of goal--it's why they've consistently been the best defensive team in the conference.
Fusco, Midgley, Agresti, Brown and Hofmann were good; some strong minutes from Diaz when she came in for Nelson, who also played well and had a nice left-footed shot on goal. After Brown's injury, and in the last 15 minutes, our defense got shaky in the back. South Carolina played direct a lot, trying to take advantage of our defenders, and nearly scored. A lot of good effort from all the Vols, but losing Brown was a blow.
Fusco, Midgley, Agresti, Brown and Hofmann were good; some strong minutes from Diaz when she came in for Nelson, who also played well and had a nice left-footed shot on goal. After Brown's injury, and in the last 15 minutes, our defense got shaky in the back. South Carolina played direct a lot, trying to take advantage of our defenders, and nearly scored. A lot of good effort from all the Vols, but losing Brown was a blow.
Tough not to get the win but nice to get a point on the road against a tough opponent. Everyone should be proud of the effort. Tough call on the PK, but I can sort of see why he called it--the SC player might have had a play on the bouncing ball and she was taken out. Some refs may not have made that call. All in all, probably a fair result. Zazzara saved us in the 2nd half with two excellent stops on breakaways and another good save.
Brick is not the answer at centerback--she's just too slow--and she made two mistakes that nearly led to two SC goals on those breakaways. On the first, Michel made the first mistake, coming up very high to play a ball, then getting dispossessed and beaten down the field. Michel is a good player--strong and athletic, talented--but she takes risks on the field and that sometimes leads to chances for the opponent--which happened here. Brick was back and in a position to get over and challenge the SC player who was driving at our goal with the ball--but she was too slow actually getting over to the ball and we almost gave up a goal. On the second, a SC player just blew by Brick in the open field, drove in on our goal--and Zazzara had to come out and poke the ball away at the top of the box. Brick was taken out with about 18 minutes to go and was not reinserted--I think the coaches put Washington in to play CB. Not sure she's going to work there, either. Let's hope Renie gets back for the next game.
The kids played their hearts out--everybody. Lawton and Midgley were warriors; Fusco and Hofmann, too. Midgley is a /good/ soccer player---I've been very impressed by her play. She's an important player for us. Lawton and Hofmann have also been consistently good. They can play. The coaches were wise to play a lot of subs. Soph Kennedy Price got what I think was her first significant action as a Vol; we'll have to see if she plays more and what qualities she has. Greiner is a freshman who runs and moves well. Runyon powered through for a goal but that's simply not going to happen very often and it would be better if she got rid of the ball, when she's out away from goal, more quickly. We'd really be better off, IMO, if Runyon slashed into the box to receive passes and get off shots instead of taking the ball 20 yards from goal and trying to drive through 3 defenders. She's a big kid, and we got a goal out her rumbling ahead--but it's generally quite hard to beat multiple defenders and score at this level. You want big kids closer to goal--where they might possibly head crosses in as well. Onward.
SC makes it difficult for opponents because their mids seem to drop deep. They have us a lot of room in the middle of the field but meant we were facing at least six defenders typically when we got into the attacking third. Even so, we need more playmakers who can put the ball in the next. It's nice to play hard--and well--but we need more cutting edge, as they say. Our next game will be tough as well--on the road at Miss. State. If we duplicate this effort we can get another result--and maybe a win.
Brick is not the answer at centerback--she's just too slow--and she made two mistakes that nearly led to two SC goals on those breakaways. On the first, Michel made the first mistake, coming up very high to play a ball, then getting dispossessed and beaten down the field. Michel is a good player--strong and athletic, talented--but she takes risks on the field and that sometimes leads to chances for the opponent--which happened here. Brick was back and in a position to get over and challenge the SC player who was driving at our goal with the ball--but she was too slow actually getting over to the ball and we almost gave up a goal. On the second, a SC player just blew by Brick in the open field, drove in on our goal--and Zazzara had to come out and poke the ball away at the top of the box. Brick was taken out with about 18 minutes to go and was not reinserted--I think the coaches put Washington in to play CB. Not sure she's going to work there, either. Let's hope Renie gets back for the next game.
The kids played their hearts out--everybody. Lawton and Midgley were warriors; Fusco and Hofmann, too. Midgley is a /good/ soccer player---I've been very impressed by her play. She's an important player for us. Lawton and Hofmann have also been consistently good. They can play. The coaches were wise to play a lot of subs. Soph Kennedy Price got what I think was her first significant action as a Vol; we'll have to see if she plays more and what qualities she has. Greiner is a freshman who runs and moves well. Runyon powered through for a goal but that's simply not going to happen very often and it would be better if she got rid of the ball, when she's out away from goal, more quickly. We'd really be better off, IMO, if Runyon slashed into the box to receive passes and get off shots instead of taking the ball 20 yards from goal and trying to drive through 3 defenders. She's a big kid, and we got a goal out her rumbling ahead--but it's generally quite hard to beat multiple defenders and score at this level. You want big kids closer to goal--where they might possibly head crosses in as well. Onward.
SC makes it difficult for opponents because their mids seem to drop deep. They have us a lot of room in the middle of the field but meant we were facing at least six defenders typically when we got into the attacking third. Even so, we need more playmakers who can put the ball in the next. It's nice to play hard--and well--but we need more cutting edge, as they say. Our next game will be tough as well--on the road at Miss. State. If we duplicate this effort we can get another result--and maybe a win.
Chris Henderson has us at RPI No.. 15 nationally, up from 20 last week. That is good. I'm not sure what our NCAA RPI is, or whose RPI metric the NCAA uses, but that's a better number than I expected. On the SEC broadcast tonight I saw where they had our RPI at 31--but that number would have improved after tonight's tie, by how much, I can't say. There are other RPIs that should be coming out soon, so we'll see where we are with them as well. The key, of course, is to keep getting results--and to hope that the teams you've played (especially those you've already beaten or tied) get results as well.
The Henderson RPI might be somewhat high--given that our results haven't been particularly impressive before this game, but RPI is a rather odd metric to predict unless you're actually running the numbers. A man name CP Thomas, very smart, does a ton of RPI work, and he had us at 40 after, I think, the Florida game. We'll have gone down from there, and I will see what his number for us is this week.
Massey, a pretty savvy site, has us ranked (not RPI) at 25 after last night--rising 11 spots in its ranking.
The Henderson RPI might be somewhat high--given that our results haven't been particularly impressive before this game, but RPI is a rather odd metric to predict unless you're actually running the numbers. A man name CP Thomas, very smart, does a ton of RPI work, and he had us at 40 after, I think, the Florida game. We'll have gone down from there, and I will see what his number for us is this week.
Massey, a pretty savvy site, has us ranked (not RPI) at 25 after last night--rising 11 spots in its ranking.
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It was a great effort. On the penalty I will say two things: she wasn't possessing the ball and the reason she got took out is our player was took out and thrown into her, should have been a no call but the ref let SC players influence him. We play more fluid with the current team but we cannot shoot with any accuracy (not uncommon if you watch other teams). Fusco is a mystery. She is great with the ball at her feet but cannot translate that abundant skill into scoring. I can't fault Runyan with our current roster.
My take is that the SC player perhaps could have made a play on the bouncing ball--and was taken out by Fusco, who, yes, got shoved into her by another Vol player. Many if not most PK calls have more than a little subjectivity to them, which is why you never know what will be called in any game. They are judgment calls. There are a lot of questionable PK calls.
Fusco is great but she's simply not a good shooter. When she hits the ball well, she tens to miss the net. When she gets the ball on goal, often the shot is right at the keeper and not very strong. Too good a player to complain about. She can only keep working at it, which I'm sure she's doing.
Our back four is a mess right now. We were hanging on at the end--playing Washington at CB, it appeared, which is an indication of how desperate we were as Washington has no experience at the position and I wouldn't say that reading the game is one of her strengths--and that is a must for a CB. There is a reason Brick has hardly played in 3 years. Hennessey is a gamer but speed (lack thereof) is an issue with her, and that's a problem for an outside back. Hofmann, a very astute player, is not speedy herself and I think got worn out in this up-and-down the field game. We can only hope Renie can play Friday.
As mentioned, the coaches have to be proactive and really starting thinking/planning for next year and how the centerback and defensive mid positions will be filled. We need to find two centerbacks--a starter for next year and a backup for next year who can play. Having as your number 1 backup at a position someone who's got talent issues and has hardly ever played is no bueno. The same at defensive mid. Kirt has not done a good shoring up these two key positions. Bringing in Michel this year was a good move--but where is the depth? We apparently don't have a single young centerback. You need quality depth. You can't just have two CBs. Same with defensive mid. He brought in Agresti--but I'm not sure she ever played defensive mid and this will be her only year with the team. Right now we'd be looking at a a starting defensive mid and a starting CB next year with zero experience. Not good. If we get our injured players back we should be very strong in midfield and up front next year--but we badly need to add quality, athleticism and depth to our back four.
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Kate Runyon Named SEC Freshman of the Week
Forward Kate Runyon has been named SEC Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday.
Runyon started the last two matches against Florida and No. 7 South Carolina, scoring goals in both to move into a tie with graduate Sizzy Lawton for second on the team in scoring (3) and total points (7).
The rookie scored her first goal of the week in the 62nd minute in the Lady Vols' 2-0 win over Florida, beating two players before ripping a shot from the top of the box over the keeper's head to ricochet the ball off the crossbar and into the net.
Runyon struck again at No. 7 South Carolina, taking on three defenders and blasting a shot low and past the USC keeper from 10 yards out as UT picked up a point on the road with the 1-1 draw.
The Lady Vols will continue SEC play on Friday, traveling to Mississippi State for an 8:30 p.m. ET match.
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