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

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Sarah Greiner goal sends Tennessee soccer to SEC Tournament​

  • Tyler Edmands, Contributor
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Tennessee soccer secured a spot in the SEC Tournament, defeating Florida 1-0 in a must-win match on Wednesday night.

Heading into the match, the Lady Vols (8-5-4, 3-4-3 SEC) sat just outside the cutoff for tournament qualification, making this a crucial game.

With the win over the Gators (4-8-6, 1-7-2), Tennessee advances to the SEC Tournament and will have the ninth seed. The Lady Vols will face Kentucky in the first round next week after playing the Wildcats on Sunday.


Here’s a look at how Tennessee ended its winless streak and clinched a berth.

Tennessee snaps its winless streak

Wednesday’s win marks the Lady Vols’ first in almost a month. Their last win came over Missouri on Oct. 4th, which was also decided by a 1-0 result.

In the five games since that night, the Lady Vols were 0-4-1 and were outscored 15-3.

The Lady Vols rose to the occasion with their backs against the wall in Gainesville, totaling five shots on goal on their 10 shots. They controlled the pace offensively and were able to keep the Gators off the attack for most of the game.

Florida tallied seven shots in their final game of the season, as it had been mathematically eliminated before the game kicked off. Only one of those seven shots were on goal, and goalie Cayden Norris saved it.

Norris earns a clean sheet in her first start


In an unexpected twist, freshman goalkeeper Norris got her first start of the season over veteran Ally Zazzara. Before this match, Norris had only logged action in two games, against Lipscomb and Kentucky — which both came late in the game.

The Johnson City native remained untested for most of the game. She logged a save on Florida’s lone shot on goal of the night en route to posting a clean sheet.

Sarah Greiner gets Tennessee rolling

In a game where goal-scoring opportunities were few and far between, Greiner delivered. She netted the lone goal of the game in the 42nd minute, which was the Lady Vols’ first first-half goal in the last three games.

The goal began with the Lady Vols’ first corner kick of the night. After a good service, the ball eventually fell to the ground and was then poked by Nyla Blue. Greiner was in the perfect place and launched the ball toward the net. It was deflected by a Florida defender and snuck past goalie Alexa Goldberg for the only goal of the night.

This would be a significant milestone for Greiner, who hadn’t found the back of the net all season. Not only would this be her first goal of the season, but it would also be her first game-winner and second goal of her collegiate career.

Up next

The win over Florida propels Tennessee into the ninth seed in the SEC Tournament, which will kick off next week. The Lady Vols will face the Kentucky Wildcats in the first round, who they lost 4-0 on Sunday.

Tennessee will need a strong showing in the SEC Tournament to climb the RPI and secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
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Greiner’s Goal Guides Tennessee to 1-0 Win Over Florida​

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tennessee soccer posted a 1-0 win over Florida Wednesday, extending their current win streak over the Gators to eight matches.

Sophomore Sarah Greiner found the net for the Lady Vols off assists from Dakota Brown and Nyla Blue.

With the win, Tennessee (8-5-4, 3-4-3) improved to ninth in conference standings, securing a spot in the SEC Tournament.

"Incredibly proud of our group and team today coming down here, getting a result. They knew what was at stake. The team was prepared. They were ready. They were dialed in and gutted out a 1-0 victory," said head coach Joe Kirt. "(It was) a great goal by Sarah (Greiner) at the end of the first half and a great play by Nyla (Blue). Cayden (Norris) and our backline competed for 90 minutes.

"We are coming out of here with a 1-0 result. Incredibly proud of their performance. Three games in seven days and capped it off a 1-0 win when we needed it. Really proud of them. It gives us some momentum heading into the tournament, and now we have to keep it rolling."

The Lady Vols notched 10 shots and five shots on goal as Florida put up seven while only getting one shot on target.

Freshman goalie Cayden Norris earned her first collegiate start in goal and picked up a save in the fifth minute while also notching her first clean sheet.

Luciana Latino gave the Lady Vols their first chance of the game in the 18th minute as Jenna Stayart posted another one on frame in the 40th minute.

Both teams were level throughout 41 minutes of the match until Greiner was able to break it open for UT off a corner kick.

Sarah Bridenstine, who took the corner kick, found Dakota Brown inside the box. Brown then headed it to Nyla Blue who quickly delivered it to Greiner.

UT held a 1-0 lead going into the half and continued to keep up defensive pressure throughout the match.

The second half was all defense for both squads as Florida put up zero shots on frame and Reese Mattern created the Lady Vols' final chance of the night in the 49th minute.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will head to the SEC Tournament in Pensacola, Fla. UT will enter as the No. 9 seed and face eight-seed Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
 
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