Lady Vols Soccer ⚽️ SEC TOURNAMENT 11/3-11/10

A win is a win is a win. I'll take it, although we got outplayed for the most part. Our back line was just awful tonight with the exception of Katz's desperation save. I didn't think Romig was at her best, but she was put in very bad positions several times by our defenders who seemed to have gone brain dead. We just had an off night I guess. I wonder if the huge crowed scared us. ;)
 
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No. 10 Tennessee Beats Mississippi State, 2-1
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tenth-ranked Tennessee picked up its sixth straight SEC win on Friday, taking a 2-1 victory over Mississippi State in front of a season-high crowd of 2,379 in Regal Soccer Stadium.

The win marks UT's longest win streak in conference play since logging six straight in 2007. The team is now two shy of the program's best SEC streak of eight wins set in 2004.

Freshman Claire Rain and junior Claudia Dipasupil found the net for Tennessee (13-1-0, 6-1-0 SEC). In goal, junior Lindsey Romig made four saves on the day.

Madison Cotta was the goal scorer for Mississippi State (3-7-3, 1-5-1 SEC).

"It's just a massive three points. I say it all the time, but any points in this league are really difficult to get," said Tennessee head coach Brian Pensky. "(Mississippi State) is a lot better than their record. There's a reason all their losses are by one goal. They were athletic, combative, organized, and they caused us all kinds of problems, so we just feel fortunate to get a win tonight and are looking forward to next week (at Vanderbilt)."

Rain struck early for Tennessee, one-touching a ball into the corner of the net off a deflection on a free kick from just outside the box in the fifth minute.

The Bulldogs got a quality look in the 27th minute when Alyssa D'Aloise ripped off a shot from the top of the box, but Romig made the save, and the score remained 1-0 through the end of the half.

The Vols started the second period in similar fashion as the first, scoring less than two minutes in off a 20-yard shot by Dipasupil. Freshman Jordan Fusco earned the assist on the goal.

Senior Mackenzie George got a good shot on frame in the 72nd minute, but Maddy Anderson was there for the save.

Junior Tara Katz saved a would-be Bulldog goal in the 88th minute, sliding to knock away a ball rolling toward the net off a 50-50 ball at the top of the eighteen, allowing Tennessee to close out the game and take the win.



UP NEXT: Tennessee will hit the road, traveling to Vanderbilt for an 8 p.m. ET matchup on Thursday.

FAB FRESHMEN: With Rain's goal and Fusco's assist against Mississippi State, freshmen now account for 13 of UT's 38 goals this season and have tallied 12 assists.

DIPASUPIL ON A ROLL: Claudia Dipasupil recorded her seventh goal of the season against Mississippi State, tying Taylor Hufffor the team lead. She has recorded a goal or an assist in four straight games and leads the team in total points with 20.
 
Omg, had a heart attack
You were not alone from the Beacon article
“Tara is a great player and she really stepped up for us. I had a heart attack on the field,” Dipasupil said on Katz’s save.
Added Rain: “It was outstanding. Her little feet go so fast. Tara’s the best.”
This moment was monumental in securing the win for the Lady Vols. Without it, the game would have most likely gone to overtime.
“It’s such an awkward moment. It’s one of those ‘tweener balls between a back and a goalkeeper,” Pensky said. “And Lawson (Renie) had the kid running up her backside and so you never know. Is Lawson supposed to come play that? Should Lindsay come play that? Lindsay came for it and, obviously, missed it, and then it was really hard to tell. Honestly in that maybe two second span there was one second where I thought that is a goal, and then the other second is like I think Tara might get there.
“Last weekend Tara was sick as a dog . . . She lives a tough life every day, but that little girl is one tough cookie, and she won the game for us tonight.”
Despite the win, there were some things the Lady Vols know they can improve upon.
"I thought there were some things we didn’t do very well,” Pensky said. “Our balls behind, we involved the goalkeeper too much, playing ball centrally, and then we’re killing off the game. We had some moments to kill off the game into the corners and we placed balls vertically into their goalkeeper, so I think there are going to be a lot of takeaways in terms of things we can learn from this game. The benefit is three points . . . I say it all the time, but any points in this league are really difficult to get.”
 
Your reigning SEC Freshman of the Week is @clairerainz!
Rain Named SEC Freshman of the Week

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee freshman defender Claire Rain has been named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.

Rain played all 90 minutes in UT's 2-1 win over Mississippi State on Friday, converting on her only shot of the game to score her second goal of the season and give Tennessee a 1-0 lead just five minutes into the match.

Rain has started 13 of 14 matches this season and played 1058 minutes, the third-highest minute total on the team behind only fellow defender Lawson Renie and goalkeeper Lindsey Romig. She has tallied two goals and three assists to account for seven points.

It is Rain's first SEC Freshman of the Week honor. Fellow freshmen Taylor Huff and Jordan Fusco have also earned SEC weekly honors this season.

No. 10 Tennessee will continue conference play this week, traveling to Vanderbilt for an 8 p.m. ET contest on Thursday that will be streamed on SECN+.
 

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