Lady Vols⚽️#23 Tennessee @ Alabama 7PM Sunday 9/22 ESPNU

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Sammi Woods regroups from missed penalty, scores winner for Tennessee soccer​

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Sammi Woods (3) kicks the ball during a match against UCLA at Regal Soccer Stadium. Thursday, Sep. 5, 2024.
David Smith / Contributor
Sammi Woods had the opportunity to put Tennessee soccer ahead from the spot, but it didn’t go to plan.

The graduate transfer’s penalty was saved by Ole Miss, denying the Lady Vols a chance at taking the lead. When Tennessee entered the locker room, it was still tied with the Rebels.

“Never fun obviously, but sometimes it happens,” Woods said. “It’s just kind of the way the game goes.”


Coming out for the second half, the Lady Vols weren’t deterred by the situation at hand. Just last week, a second-half goal gave Tennessee a win over No. 7 Memphis. It needed another late winner to start SEC play with three points.

When Woods came back out through the Regal Soccer Stadium tunnel, the memories of her miss were gone. Alongside her team, she was solely focused on the task at hand.

“I think we did a really good job going in and regrouping, and then the mentality going into the second half is just wipe it,” Woods said. “It’’s a new 45. We have a lot of work to do.”

Fifteen minutes into the second half, Tennessee got its chance. Reese Mattern’s aggressive run gave the Lady Vols a crossing opportunity, which she took. With the ball being contested, Kate Runyon made a play on it, finding Woods with some space.

The sports psychology graduate student put no stock in her earlier miss. She put the shot to her right again, and this time, it found the back netting.

“I don’t worry too much about her getting her head back in the right place,” Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt said. “She’s upset, but she moves on and scores a game winner.”

Woods was recruited to Tennessee because of her experience, especially in creating and executing goal-scoring opportunities. She scored eight goals for the Wolverines last year, and her strong mentality came with her to Knoxville.


When she combines with other players doing their job, the Lady Vols score. Mattern, Runyon and Woods all played vital roles in generating Tennessee’s second goal of the night.

“Sammi is great at being in that spot at the top of the box, and my job is to stay central,” Runyon said. “I think I’m trying to continue to do a better job at it. When I’m central and when the midfielders are under us, good things happen.”

Runyon has been aggressive in the attack all season. It’s why she has picked up three bookings this season, but it’s also why she has two goals and two assists.

Not every play Runyon makes directly contributes to a goal, but the sophomore forward did so twice on Thursday.

“It’s a mentality from all of our nines, and Kate exemplifies that,” Kirt said. “She just works and works and works. Good things come from hard work, and you persevere and you get opportunities.”

In goal, Ally Zazzara was forced to respond to an early setback. She conceded a goal for the first time since an opening-night loss to Indiana, breaking Tennessee’s run of six consecutive clean sheets.

She responded immediately, making two saves to help earn Tennessee’s sixth win of the season. It isn’t the first time Zazzara has let in an early goal, and she knows how to avoid dwelling on mistakes.

“Just her experience, the confidence she has, the players in front of her continuing to work hard to block shots,” Kirt said. “But she made two big-time saves today, and you need that from your goalkeeper to win in this league.”
 
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