Lady Vols Soccer ⚽️ Tennessee @ Virginia Tech 11/15 Friday 7PM Blacksburg VA ⚽️ NCAA TOURNAMENT First Round

I like the fact that our defense can slowly move the ball up-field. If I can move the ball from my defensive third to the middle third without pressure, that is always a win. We are able to do this because our opposition is choosing not to press and engage until the middle third? Why? Perhaps they might be worried about the speed and physicality of our forwards. Just a thought. Usually when a team presses its because they do not respect your ability to beat it. Others teams choosing not to press says something good about our team or bad about their own assessment of what the opposition team can or cannot do.
 
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I like the fact that our defense can slowly move the ball up-field. If I can move the ball from my defensive third to the middle third without pressure, that is always a win. We are able to do this because our opposition is choosing not to press and engage until the middle third? Why? Perhaps they might be worried about the speed and physicality of our forwards. Just a thought. Usually when a team presses its because they do not respect your ability to beat it. Others teams choosing not to press says something good about our team or bad about their own assessment of what the opposition team can or cannot do.
I like this view, feels like things are coming together and we are seeing Kirt’s vision.
 
This is disappointing.

Was excited to see former LV Cariel Ellis play in the A League in Australia, but it looks like it’s not happening. Hope she gets another opportunity to play professionally.


Cariel Ellis departs Melbourne City​

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Melbourne City FC can announce that the Club and Cariel Ellis have agreed a mutual termination of the attacker’s contract at her request, allowing her to return to America due to personal reasons.

On behalf of everyone at Melbourne City FC, we would like to wish Cariel all the best for the future.
 
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SEC Soccer starts this week.

Standings after non conference.

I’m assuming the cancelled Duke/Tennessee match was counted as a draw.

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After five weeks, two perfect teams remain:

Auburn
Kentucky


Auburn remains the only team who has not been scored upon yet.


Lady Vols SEC schedule
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Surely the Lady Vols soccer will get a national seeding in the new polls that come out next week. They tied number 9 and beat number 7. What more do the pollsters want? Anything less shows a bias and a lack of respect for the program.
Tennessee jumps into the Top 25 of the Top Drawer Rankings for the first time this season at #23.


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Midgley, Zazzara Earn SEC Weekly Honors​

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Tennessee soccer's Mac Midgley and Ally Zazzara were both slated to SEC Weekly awards, the conference announced Monday.

Midgley was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week as Zazzara was tabbed SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

Midgley, who has been firing on all cylinders for the Lady Vols, scored the lone goal during a 1-0 win over No. 5 Memphis. It marked her second goal of the season. The junior currently has three goal contributions and six shots on goal heading into SEC play.

Zazzara, who picked up her sixth-consecutive shutout, currently holds the fourth-best goals against average in the country with a .148 mark while also boasting a .933 save percentage.

UP NEXT: Midgley, Zazzara and the rest of the No. 23 Tennessee soccer team is set to open SEC play Thursday at home against Ole Miss for a 7 p.m. ET matchup.

Full List of Tennessee Soccer Weekly Awards:

SEC Freshman of the Week: Reese Mattern (Aug. 26, 2024)
Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week: Ally Zazzara (Sept. 9, 2024)
SEC Offensive Player of the Week: Mac Midgley (Sept. 16, 2024)
SEC Defensive Player of the Week: Ally Zazzara (Sept. 16, 2024)
 

USA SET TO FACE KOREA DPR IN FINAL FOUR AT 2024 FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP​

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AFTER TWO DRAMATIC KNOCKOUT WINS, USA FACES POWERFUL KOREA DPR IN SEMIFINAL: After downing Germany in a 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal penalty kick shootout in one of the most improbable, dramatic and memorable wins in the history of the U.S. Women’s National Team programs, the USA must quickly turn its focus to a Korea DPR team which has shown to be perhaps the strongest in the tournament.

The USA will play in the first semifinal on Sept. 18, kicking off at 5:30 p.m. ET (FS2 & Telemundo Digital) at what will surely be a steamy Estadio Pascual Guererro in Cali, Colombia, with Japan facing Netherlands at the same venue at 9 p.m. ET. This is the USA’s first trip to the semifinals of the U-20 WWC since 2016 -- a tournament that featured 16 teams instead of the 24 that contested this year’s competition -- where the Americans fell to North Korea, 2-1, in overtime. Fans can follow the U-20 WNT throughout the tournament on ussoccer.com, Facebook, Twitter/X (@USYNT) and Instagram (@USYNT). For all the tournament results, go FIFA.com.

 

THE DAILY BEACON​

Tennessee soccer begins SEC play with high expectations​

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Leah Klurman (21) defends against Memphis at Regal Soccer Stadium. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.
  • Kinley Sanderson / The Daily Beacon

Joe Kirt thinks his Tennessee soccer team has all of the pieces to compete for an SEC championship this season.

The 10-match slate starts Thursday against Ole Miss before the league’s tournament in Pensacola, Florida. Between now and then, Kirt expects Tennessee’s defense to carry the team through the conference schedule.


“The opportunity is there,” Kirt said. “We have got to continue to be dialed in defensively, but that gives us a chance. We’re going to have to come up against some teams that are pretty good attacking teams.”

Alongside that defensive effort, Tennessee will look to improve its goal-scoring as the season goes on. It looks to get more players into the box, so that when crosses come in, there are more targets available.

Pushing midfielders into the attacking area has given the Lady Vols plenty of opportunities this season. It’s how they found the breakthrough goal against No. 15 Memphis and how they look to continue gaining chances as the season progresses.

“Our goal being scored, Mac was a midfielder in the box there, and even Jenna’s goal that was called back due to offside,” Kirt said. “It’s another midfielder inside the six-yard box or close to the six-yard box.”

Mac Midgley and Sammi Woods play a crucial role in Tennessee’s attack. As attacking midfielders, Tennessee’s offense flows through them as they try to both directly develop chances and find forwards for goals.

Midgley and Woods have done well to get themselves goal-scoring opportunities, but the next step in their progress will be finding ways to be more active in Tennessee’s build-up.


“Each game is a little different in what their primary role is, and I think they did a really good job playing off our forwards in the Memphis game,” Kirt said. “A lot of their time off the ball was coming off some of those combinations. … But I think they can be more prevalent and prominent in our build up and kind of getting into the final third.”

Alongside that offensive presence, Tennessee will continue to be strong defensively. The Lady Vols enter Thursday’s match against Ole Miss with a six-match clean sheet streak dating back to the second game of the season.

As Tennessee looks to win its first conference championship in Kirt’s tenure, it will rely on its back line that gave it so much success so far this season, including the first top-10 win in three years. When conference play begins on Thursday, nothing there will change.

“Defense wins championships, right?” Kirt said. “I’m pretty good there.”

A look at the Rebels

Ole Miss enters SEC play with a 5-4-0 record, finishing its non-conference slate with a 1-4 loss to Lipscomb on Sunday. The game was a rare example of an opponent finding a way to break through against the Rebels.

Like Memphis, Ole Miss will be a tough opponent to break down. The Rebels allowed one goal per game on average during non-conference play and limited No. 5 Michigan State to just one goal, something only one other team has achieved this season.

However, the way they do so is unique. The Rebels allow opponents to get shots away, but they do well to make sure they don’t end up on goal. The Lady Vols will try to generate solid opportunities against Ole Miss’ back line.

“This is a little different in terms of their style,” Kirt said. “We’ve got to once again adapt to our opponent and still be true to ourselves, but find solutions to what they’re going to pose, which will be organized and difficult to break down.”
 

MATCH CENTRAL: #23 Tennessee vs. Ole Miss​

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The No. 23 Tennessee soccer team is primed for a 7 p.m. ET Thursday matchup against Ole Miss to open SEC play.

Admission is free for all preseason and regular-season soccer matches. Additionally, For fans planning to attend, we will have one shuttle (ADA accessible) picking up at Ag Campus and dropping off at the top of Cronan and Stephenson. Shuttles will begin at 5:30pm and run until one hour postgame. Please note that Tennessee's clear bag policy will be in effect

GAME PROMOTIONS:
  • Giveaway: 500 scarves
  • Food Trucks: Good Hombres | Irveys
  • Anthem: Saintly Singers from the Episcopal Church
  • There will be additional parking at Ag. Campus. Fans can also walk to Regal Stadium via the greenway on Neyland Drive.
UT is coming off an impressive and resilient 1-0 victory over No. 5 Memphis, tallying their sixth-consecutive clean sheet in the process. The six shutouts in a row are its most since 2021.
UT concluded its non-conference slate with an undefeated record at home, going 4-0-1 in the process.
MAC & ALLY PUTTIN' EM ON NOTICE: Tennessee soccer's Mac Midgley and Ally Zazzara were both slated to SEC Weekly awards, the conference announced Monday. Midgley was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week as Zazzara was tabbed SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Midgley, who has been firing on all cylinders for the Lady Vols, scored the lone goal during a 1-0 win over No. 5 Memphis. It marked her second goal of the season. The junior currently has three goal contributions and six shots on goal heading into SEC play. Zazzara, who picked up her sixth-consecutive shutout, currently holds the fourth-best goals against average in the country with a .148 mark while also boasting a .933 save percentage.

BACKLINE BALLIN': The Tennessee defense has allowed just 7.3 shots per game and is tied for third nationally with an .857 shutout percentage. Additionally, UT has held its opponents scoreless for 580.58 consecutive minutes.

SCOUTING THE REBELS: Similarly to UT, Ole Miss has 10 returners from the 2023 season, along with 17 newcomers. The Rebels are coming off a 1-4 loss against Lipscomb. Ten players have contributed at least one goal for Ole Miss, as Freshman Katie Ramsden enters Thursday's match with three assists on the season. Defensively, the Rebels have posted four shutouts this year.

MATCHUP HISTORY: The Lady Vols hold an 18-4-2 all-time record against Ole Miss. Tennessee's last matchup with the Rebels was a 1-0 win in Oxford, Mississippi. Thursday's match marks the first time since 2017 that Ole Miss came to Knoxville.

UP NEXT: After Tennessee closes out its four-match homestand against Ole Miss, the squad will head on the road to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for a Sunday night match against the Tide.
 
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