Official 2015 Soccer Thread

[armchair]

Sorry for the double post. My pc was acting up and I thought my first post about automatic berths was dropped, so I posted a shorter second version only to then see my first response to the tourney question!

RE Wilkinson, Mad, your make a good point: The fact that she was not honored does suggest pretty strongly that we will petition for another year--and maybe she'll get it since she didn't play at all. It's weird but I actually have mixed feelings about it. Yea, she'd probably make us better with her size and skills, but I wouldn't want to return to the simple-minded attack that we had with her last year, where all we could really do is whomp the ball down the field and hope Wilkinson could do something--which is pretty much what our attack was /this year/ as well with Neal before we put Bialczak in the middle. We now have a chance to be a little more sophisticated if our forward players can develop some chemistry. Where we really miss Wilky is on corners and free kickers--she has the size to head balls in. We are not very good on corners--not good at taking them and not good at defending them. We've given up goals in the last two games on corners, and many of our corner kicks lately have been awful.

 

[MAD]

Sorry for the double post. My pc was acting up and I thought my first post about automatic berths was dropped, so I posted a shorter second version only to then see my first response to the tourney question!

RE Wilkinson, Mad, your make a good point: The fact that she was not honored does suggest pretty strongly that we will petition for another year--and maybe she'll get it since she didn't play at all. It's weird but I actually have mixed feelings about it. Yea, she'd probably make us better with her size and skills, but I wouldn't want to return to the simple-minded attack that we had with her last year, where all we could really do is whomp the ball down the field and hope Wilkinson could do something--which is pretty much what our attack was /this year/ as well with Neal before we put Bialczak in the middle. We now have a chance to be a little more sophisticated if our forward players can develop some chemistry. Where we really miss Wilky is on corners and free kickers--she has the size to head balls in. We are not very good on corners--not good at taking them and not good at defending them. We've given up goals in the last two games on corners, and many of our corner kicks lately have been awful.

I read both of them and am always so impressed with your take on the games and your knowledge of soccer. By the way you make some great points about Wilkinson that I hadn't considered.

 

[armchair]

Here's what interesting about the last two Vol games. In moving Biaczak to midfield, Pensky also benched midfielder C. Baldwin, who played just about every minute of every game last year as freshman and top recruit. But things changed this year. Baldwin, until the last couple of games, played pretty much every minute of every game this year--but after several games it became apparent that the midfield was a problem. They weren't getting forward, which meant we weren't attacking other teams but instead on the defensive too much. And one also noticed that two of our young mids--Baldwin and Cousins, each a top recruit, were at the heart of the matter. They both have good ball skills, both are passionate players--but neither really has the good pace (speed) and athleticism that you, as a coach, want and need to see in players. Baldwin has a great competitive spirit and seems a team leader, but she just wasn't doing enough. In addition to contributing little to the offense, she has developed some bad habits on defense. When getting the ball, instead of turning the field and trying to start a counterattack, too often she would pass the ball back to our defenders, ending any chance we might have of breaking forward quickly and catching our opponent with few defenders--and until the last two games counterattacking and making deep passes to our forwards was effectively our offense. It's fine to settle things with a back pass occasionally but she was back-passing too much. Playing forward is generally preferable to backward. What's more, she was also not challenging the ball consistently in our defensive third, something that's been very noticeable. When an opponent has the ball close to your goal, she has to be physically challenged. Failure to challenge the ball leaves the opponent with time and space to make passes, take shots, and is the reason a lot of goals are scored. But Baldwin, perhaps for fear of getting beaten on the dribble, was often not challenging and instead dropping 5 yards or so off the opposing player with the ball. That's not good--and that is precisely how we gave up the second goal to Ole Miss. The ball came to a Mississippi player around the top of our box. She was behind Baldwin, who had come in as a sub. Baldwin quickly scrambled back--but instead of directly challenging the player with the ball, as she should have, she ran five yards past the Ole Miss player, leaving her plenty of time and plenty of space to strike the ball, which she did--goal for Mississippi. In any case, I'm not suggesting that Baldwin was the only reason for our difficulties. But she was one reason.

She did not play at all against Kentucky, and we had our best offensive game in ages. It is hard for anybody to sit who is used to playing--but there is competition for spots at this level. Heck, in softball we've had /good/ players get recruited over and get relegated to the bench or part-time duty because the Weeklys recruit extremely well. That is the risk at major schools in major conferences. Likewise, Pensky brought in a seriously good (and much needed) freshman class--10 kids who are athletic and can play, and he must play the best and most athletic players--those who can best help the Vols become a great team. Next year there will be more competition for spots; we've got two highly regarded players coming in as freshman. Cousins, who has played better in the last part of the year, may have to fight for her spot as soccer is a sport where pace and athleticism are paramount. Great recruiting is the key to building great teams and a strong program. I'm excited to see us put a young and increasingly athletic group on the field--and one that, with good coaching, should steadily get better and be formidable before long. As I see it, we've got to get to /formidable/ sometime between now and Thursday afternoon!

 

[MAD]

Here's what interesting about the last two Vol games. In moving Biaczak to midfield, Pensky also benched midfielder C. Baldwin, who played just about every minute of every game last year as freshman and top recruit. But things changed this year. Baldwin, until the last couple of games, played pretty much every minute of every game this year--but after several games it became apparent that the midfield was a problem. They weren't getting forward, which meant we weren't attacking other teams but instead on the defensive too much. And one also noticed that two of our young mids--Baldwin and Cousins, each a top recruit, were at the heart of the matter. They both have good ball skills, both are passionate players--but neither really has the good pace (speed) and athleticism that you, as a coach, want and need to see in players. Baldwin has a great competitive spirit and seems a team leader, but she just wasn't doing enough. In addition to contributing little to the offense, she has developed some bad habits on defense. When getting the ball, instead of turning the field and trying to start a counterattack, too often she would pass the ball back to our defenders, ending any chance we might have of breaking forward quickly and catching our opponent with few defenders--and until the last two games counterattacking and making deep passes to our forwards was effectively our offense. It's fine to settle things with a back pass occasionally but she was back-passing too much. Playing forward is generally preferable to backward. What's more, she was also not challenging the ball consistently in our defensive third, something that's been very noticeable. When an opponent has the ball close to your goal, she has to be physically challenged. Failure to challenge the ball leaves the opponent with time and space to make passes, take shots, and is the reason a lot of goals are scored. But Baldwin, perhaps for fear of getting beaten on the dribble, was often not challenging and instead dropping 5 yards or so off the opposing player with the ball. That's not good--and that is precisely how we gave up the second goal to Ole Miss. The ball came to a Mississippi player around the top of our box. She was behind Baldwin, who had come in as a sub. Baldwin quickly scrambled back--but instead of directly challenging the player with the ball, as she should have, she ran five yards past the Ole Miss player, leaving her plenty of time and plenty of space to strike the ball, which she did--goal for Mississippi. In any case, I'm not suggesting that Baldwin was the only reason for our difficulties. But she was one reason.

She did not play at all against Kentucky, and we had our best offensive game in ages. It is hard for anybody to sit who is used to playing--but there is competition for spots at this level. Heck, in softball we've had /good/ players get recruited over and get relegated to the bench or part-time duty because the Weeklys recruit extremely well. That is the risk at major schools in major conferences. Likewise, Pensky brought in a seriously good (and much needed) freshman class--10 kids who are athletic and can play, and he must play the best and most athletic players--those who can best help the Vols become a great team. Next year there will be more competition for spots; we've got two highly regarded players coming in as freshman. Cousins, who has played better in the last part of the year, may have to fight for her spot as soccer is a sport where pace and athleticism are paramount. Great recruiting is the key to building great teams and a strong program. I'm excited to see us put a young and increasingly athletic group on the field--and one that, with good coaching, should steadily get better and be formidable before long. As I see it, we've got to get to /formidable/ sometime between now and Thursday afternoon!

Excellent write up, so informative.

 

[MAD]

Here is some of last nights game. The announcer is speaking in Portuguese.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uedCiG8jyDw[/youtube]

 

[MAD]

Vols rally against Kentucky in senior night tie

Vols rally against Kentucky in senior night tie - Sports - Mobile

 

[MAD]

ECKEL RISES TO LIFE'S CHALLENGE​

Tennessee's record-setting goalkeeper comes back from injury and tragedy to lead Vols.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nciN51zT8xE[/youtube]​

If the script had gone according to plan, Julie Eckel wouldn't even be at the University of Tennessee right now.
Her senior year should have played out a year ago, with another stellar season putting her at or near the top of every statistical category for goalkeepers in Tennessee history. She would be out in the working world, a proud alum of her home state school.

But life, particularly a sporting life, rarely plays out the way the script is written. A season-ending injury prior to the 2014 season may have actually put Eckel exactly where she needed to be with the support she needed to lean on during the most challenging time in her life.

A Season Ended

Eckel had all of Tennessee's goalkeeper records in her sights heading into her senior season.

Her career to that point had been a stellar display of maturity and growth, combined with pure athleticism and ability to play her position that had not been often seen in program history. Eckel came to Tennessee in 2011 from across the state in Cordova, just outside of Memphis, and seized the starting job in goal from day one.

"Julie is a focused young lady in whatever aspect of her life she is working towards," said Joe Kirt, Tennessee's goalkeepers coach for the last nine seasons. "That has been consistent throughout her time here. She is focused and goal-driven. When she came in, she was very solid. As goalkeepers grow, they get better, experience helps them. Every year she has taken strides to get better."

Her first game in goal resulted in a pressure-packed 2-1 overtime win at Kansas. Nine days later, she held 18th-ranked Texas A&M scoreless for the first shutout of her career. From that game, she stopped 23 consecutive shots on goal as Tennessee shutout five consecutive opponents, a school record.

Over her first three seasons, Eckel would start 61 matches, recording 254 saves and 23 shutouts. All of those numbers had her almost assured of breaking UT records with a solid senior season.

But she did not even make it to the first practice of her senior year before injury struck.

On the first day back on campus for summer workouts, she planted her foot to change direction from backpedaling to running forward and felt a pop behind her ankle. Her Achilles Tendon had ruptured and the anchor of the Volunteers' defense was on the shelf for the season.

She looked ahead at a seven-month recovery from surgery. A fierce competitor that played three sports at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School was not only out of the game, she could not even put weight on her injured leg for six weeks.

"It was a really different perspective for me to see the team from the sideline," Eckel said. "It was a chance to grow as a leader and a teammate and as a person."

There was no doubt that she would invest everything she had in her recovery. Eckel scheduled her physical therapy sessions around practices so she could still be there for her teammates. But the injury still left the question of whether she would be the same player when she came back.

"It was a question mark," Kirt said. "It is not an injury that we see very often in our sport, so we didn't really have any personal experience with how players respond to that type of injury."

Eckel had her own concerns, but they quickly went away as she was slowly cleared to resume training.

"I was worried about my vertical and my explosive strength," Eckel said of two of the traits that make her so special in goal. "By the time I started walking, my leg was half the size of the other one. But through our normal strength training and everything our staff did, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It came back pretty quick and I'm back to where I want to be physically."

A Moment That Changed Everything

The next step in Eckel's recovery was getting back on the field for Tennessee's spring practices.

She had seen classmates Allie Sirna, Cheyanne Spade and Brittney Wade go through senior day without her, but getting back on the field and in goal was worth the wait. Through the spring schedule, she continued to make progress toward becoming the Julie Eckel that fans, coaches and teammates expected.

"It was a coordinated effort between our staff, our sports medicine staff and Julie to be in communication about what we could do each week, how could we progress early on," Kirt said of her recovery. "It was a lengthy process, but we didn't want to push anything. We fit in what we could in every moment and I think that was the key to her success."

She was standing in goal when news came that would change her life forever.

Eckel's parents had called her roommates trying to get ahold of her. They were able to reach head coach Brian Pensky on the practice field with the message.

"We were in the middle of a scrimmage and he told me to come there, so I adjusted my position, thinking that's what he was telling me to do," Eckel said. "I went over to the sideline and he said `We need to start walking toward the locker room.' He had me call my parents and that's when I was told."

Eckel's brother Brad, a 2013 Tennessee graduate in Mechanical Engineering had passed away after suffering an epileptic seizure in Houston, where he was a proposals engineer for OneSubsea. He was just 24 years old.

She fell to the ground on the sideline, Pensky by her side to help her into the locker room.

"He was planning his flight nearly a year out to come in for senior night," Eckel said of her brother. "He was really excited about certain events for this season, like coming in for a football weekend and everything that comes with being at Tennessee."

She went home to prepare for the services with her family, her Tennessee family grieving for their teammate from afar. The team had scrimmages against Duke and Georgia scheduled for the weekend, but this was more important than any game they could play.

"There was never a doubt in any of our minds," Kirt said. "We asked the players and it wasn't even a question. We needed to be there for Julie. I think it speaks volumes for the character of our team and who we are."

Instead of a bus for competitions, the team boarded vans for a trip to the Memphis area for the funeral.

"To see the whole team load up vans and have the coaches drive them there was unbelievable," Eckel said. "I was blown away. After the service, people told me that seeing the team there was unbelievable. That was huge for me and for my parents. I can't thank them enough for that huge gesture."

The injury and the redshirt year had kept her in the Tennessee family, and they were there when she needed them most. After 10 days at home, she returned to Knoxville with the knowledge that her team was there for her at every moment of the day.

"Julie is such a rock," junior Emily Morrow said. "She is the rock of our team and is one of the strongest people I have ever met. Losing a family member is heartbreaking and devastating and her strength is unbelievable and has inspired all of us."

The soccer family came together to welcome her back to campus.

"It was a difficult time for all of us," Kirt said. "It's one of those moments in coaching that you never think about and there's no way to prepare for it. You just want to be there. You develop relationships with your players and you want the best for them. You have something like that happen and it's hard for everybody. You just want to do everything in your power to make it better."

The support meant everything to Eckel.

"It was definitely the darkest time and the hardest thing I've ever dealt with, but I had the support from all angles," she said. "They gave me everything I needed to deal with the situation. Having the team and my friends and my family and the coaches, it really helped me get through it."

Back In Action

Instead of summer school, Eckel remained home with her family for much of the summer, but returned for her final preseason camp ready to finish the season that never got off the ground a year earlier.

The first thing she had to do was make peace with the soccer field. The same place that had ended her season a summer earlier. The same place where her life had changed.

"It was an adjustment for me going back to the soccer field," Eckel said. "When I'm on the field, I see that spot where I was told the news and it brings back memoires."

If there was any question whether she would be the same player, they were quickly answered with three consecutive shutouts to start the season. She did not allow a goal over the first 396 minutes of the season.

"Even last year having the year off, she probably saw some things that she hadn't seen when she had been playing," Kirt said. "I think the little things that she has picked up along the way have helped. I'm really proud of her for the steps she has taken. She has been so consistent this year and it goes back to her focus and her mental approach. She has been so focused on being great."

Those records she was chasing? She nearly has every one. She passed Ellen Dean for the top spot in matches started with 78 and counting. Her 31 shutouts have Eckel one away from taking the top spot from Vanessa Phillips-Bosshart, who she already passed for No. 1 on the minutes played list.

"She brings a lot on and off the field," said midfielder Carlyn Baldwin. "She is a great leader vocally and she leads by example. She is an amazing teammate and an amazing friend. What she's gone through is something we can't even imagine and seeing her strength and her ability to keep positive during one of the darkest times she has ever been through is inspiring to all of us."

Her teammates are quick to credit Eckel, but it is those teammates that she has relied on the most.

"I wouldn't be able to have the season I'm having and be able to play for Brad if it wasn't for all of the people that have been there for me," she said.

She has played for Brad with his initials on the tape on her wrists. Fellow senior Susan Ferguson had black armbands made with the initials on them that the entire team wore in the opening match of the season. For the rest of the year, Eckel's teammates have joined her in writing Brad's initials on their wrists. Eckel plays for her brother, her teammates play for her.

"Seeing her out on the field and being so passionate about the game makes us all want to play harder," Morrow said. "For ourselves and for her."

And on senior day, the day her brother had long planned to share with her, Eckel had another record to break. She finished with five saves to take the top spot on Tennessee's career saves list from Dean.

One more honor and another match dedicated to him.

"It has given me a different perspective of not only soccer, but my daily interactions and relationships," she said of how the last year has changed her. "I'm more conscious and aware of being in the moment."

 

[armchair]

Who is that Portuguese video man and announcer? There is a foreigner who has been asking Pensky questions on the field after the last two games, during the coach's post-match interviews with UTSports. I assume it is the same guy.

The Kentucky player who crashed into O'Keefe at the end of the second OT was given her second yellow card--and so got a red and was out of the game. She's a starting midfielder who cannot play in Thursday's game for the wildcats.

 

[MAD]

Who is that Portuguese video man and announcer? There is a foreigner who has been asking Pensky questions on the field after the last two games, during the coach's post-match interviews with UTSports. I assume it is the same guy.

The Kentucky player who crashed into O'Keefe at the end of the second OT was given her second yellow card--and so got a red and was out of the game. She's a starting midfielder who cannot play in Thursday's game for the wildcats.

Yes, it looks like this is the same guy who is asking the questions.

Do you know if O'Keefe is okay?

 

[MAD]

TENNESSEE AT #17 SOUTH CAROLINA​

he Vols travel to South Carolina to take on the 17th ranked Gamecocks on Thursday night.

View attachment 102149​

The Tennessee soccer team is preparing for the biggest game of its season as it heads to Columbia, S.C., for a showdown with No. 17 South Carolina in the regular-season finale on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
The Volunteers (7-4-6, 3-4-3 SEC) find themselves in a four-way tie for eighth place in the SEC standings heading into Thursday’s game against the Gamecocks, with the top 10 teams advancing to the conference tournament. The race for the SEC Tournament couldn’t be closer as five teams are vying for the final three spots.

With current tiebreakers in place, the Vols occupy the ninth spot in the standings entering Thursday’s match despite having the same amount of points (12) as Vanderbilt (eighth), Georgia (10th) and Kentucky (11th). Mississippi State is also still alive, sitting in 12th place with 11 points. A win would guarantee the Big Orange a spot in the conference tournament which begins on Monday, Nov. 2 in Orange Beach, Ala.

Tennessee is coming off a 1-1 draw against Kentucky on Senior Night. Redshirt freshman Meghan Flynn scored a late equalizer in the 80th minute and nearly won it minutes later with a shot that was hammered off the cross bar.

Redshirt senior goalkeeper Julie Eckel made five stops on the night to become the all-time saves leader at Tennessee with 329, passing Ellen Dean. Make sure to check out the phenomenal video and written feature on Eckel by clicking HERE.

South Carolina (11-4-2, 5-3-2 SEC) has been among the conference leaders for most of the year but has struggled a little bit down the stretch, dropping three of its last four games. The Gamecocks boast a dangerous attack that features four players with double-digit points. They are led by sophomore midfielder Savannah McCaskill, who is tied for fifth in the conference with 26 points and tied for sixth with 10 goals.

The Vols feel good about their chances considering their solid play on the road this year. They have only lost once away from home this season, a 3-1 defeat to Missouri after having to play the entire second half a player down because of a red card in the first half.

Thursday’s game can be seen live on SEC Network +/WatchESPN at 7 p.m. ET. With every team in the conference playing their final game on Thursday, the Vols will know their postseason fate following the conclusion of their contest with USC.

 

[MAD]

Armchair, maybe you can translate this as far as it applies to Tennessee and what has to happen for us to get in.

Soccer seeks to secure SEC Tournament berth - The Vanderbilt Hustler: Sports

This is what Vandy needs.

Vanderbilt sits at 12 points in conference play. Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky are tied with identical conference records.
All five relevant games start within an hour of one another on Thursday evening.
Essentially, three of the four teams will make it in assuming Mississippi State (1 point behind) doesn’t leapfrog the rest in the standings with a win of their own.
If Vanderbilt wins, they make the SEC tournament as no lower than the 8 seed. And as long as Mississippi State loses, Vanderbilt wins every tiebreaker except a 1-on-1 tie with Georgia.
Now, if all four teams win, lose, or tie (and Mississippi State doesn’t enter the conversation), there is a four-way tie. The SEC states, “If all teams have played one another, then most points earned in those matches advances.”
Vanderbilt lost this past weekend to Georgia and falls behind them in the standings in any tiebreaker. However, Tennessee beat Georgia and tied Vanderbilt and moves ahead of both. Kentucky and Georgia did not meet.
This situation puts Vanderbilt at a significant disadvantage, as Tennessee defeated Georgia earlier this season. But as long as all four teams win, lose, or draw, Vanderbilt will be safe.
Essentially, Vanderbilt needs to salvage at least a point from the Ole Miss game on Thursday. A loss puts them at the mercy of the other teams, in which case any number of scenarios could push them out of the tournament.
A win, however, helps them immensely.

 

[armchair]

I saw one NCAA women's soccer bracketology today, and the analyst gives UT little chance of making the tournament. He has 8 SEC teams making the tournament, which along with 8 for the Big 10 (or whatever it is now) is the most of any conference. He notes that the Vols have not beaten anybody with a top 100 RPI this year. It is true, we haven't beaten a quality team all year--a tie with va. tech being our best result, and losses in all four matches we've played against upper-tier SEC schools. This analyst had Kentucky probably making the tournament--though maybe not if they lose to LSU. The wildcats haven't won a game in weeks--their best result this month, I think, was the tie with us the other night--a game that we dominated in all ways but scoring goals. A tie with USC will probably get us in the SEC tourney--but we surely need a win to have any chance of getting into the NCAA tourney, and even then we'd probably have to win a minimum of two games, I think. A tie or loss and we'd probably have to win three games or the entire tournament. Last year the SEC got 9 or 10 teams in the NCAA but I think that was unusual. The UTSports article above notes that the Vols have been solid on the road this year--but that is a bit misleading as all but one of our 5 SEC road games have been against teams at the bottom of the conference, and even then we only scored more than 1 goal in 1 game (alabama). South Carolina will be tougher, a good team, though it has struggled down the stretch. We will have to play a good game.

 

[MAD]

I saw one NCAA women's soccer bracketology today, and the analyst gives UT little chance of making the tournament. He has 8 SEC teams making the tournament, which along with 8 for the Big 10 (or whatever it is now) is the most of any conference. He notes that the Vols have not beaten anybody with a top 100 RPI this year. It is true, we haven't beaten a quality team all year--a tie with va. tech being our best result, and losses in all four matches we've played against upper-tier SEC schools. This analyst had Kentucky probably making the tournament--though maybe not if they lose to LSU. The wildcats haven't won a game in weeks--their best result this month, I think, was the tie with us the other night--a game that we dominated in all ways but scoring goals. A tie with USC will probably get us in the SEC tourney--but we surely need a win to have any chance of getting into the NCAA tourney, and even then we'd probably have to win a minimum of two games, I think. A tie or loss and we'd probably have to win three games or the entire tournament. Last year the SEC got 9 or 10 teams in the NCAA but I think that was unusual. The UTSports article above notes that the Vols have been solid on the road this year--but that is a bit misleading as all but one of our 5 SEC road games have been against teams at the bottom of the conference, and even then we only scored more than 1 goal in 1 game (alabama). South Carolina will be tougher, a good team, though it has struggled down the stretch. We will have to play a good game.

I think we will have to get to the the finals of the SECT in order to get into the NCAA Tourney. Lets just hope they win Thursday.

 

[MAD]

Final day of the regular season & the most important game of the year!

View attachment 102212​

 

[MAD]

Vols final game could determine postseason play​

After winning 11 of their first 14 games, the South Carolina Gamecocks were looking to grab the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament.
Over the course of the two weeks between Oct. 11 and Oct. 25, however, the Gamecocks lost three straight and picked up a tie, dropping from first to sixth.
On Thursday, the Vols will be heading to Columbia for a match that means a little more for the Vols.
Tennessee (7-4-6, 3-4-3 SEC) is currently trying to hold on to its SEC Tournament bid in a four-way tie for eighth place. Georgia, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are currently contending with the Vols for the eighth, ninth and tenth place spots in the conference with 12 points each.
With Mississippi State lurking in twelfth with 11 points, the Vols can clinch a playoff spot with a win but will need a little help with a tie or a loss.
Georgia will travel to Florida to take on the red-hot No. 6 Gators, on Thursday at 7 p.m., while Kentucky will host the 10-4-4 LSU Tigers on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Vanderbilt will travel to take on the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels on Thursday at 8 p.m. Finally, wild card Mississippi State will host Auburn at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs need a win even to remain in the tournament conversation.
The Vols’ final game of the season has been an indicator whether the team will make the tournament in past years, so head coach Brian Pensky feels that this will help his team prepare for Thursday’s match.
“Unfortunately, maybe it does lessen the blow, but I think it goes back to the team’s mojo,” Pensky said in his weekly press conference. “They know they played well on Friday against Ole Miss. They know they played well against Kentucky on Sunday night. So, hey, we have a lot to play for. We have a lot to feel good about.”
Although South Carolina (11-4-2, 5-3-2 SEC) has struggled over the past two weeks, it’s remained one of the most accurate teams in the SEC. Tennessee and South Carolina have taken the same amount of shots this season (251), but the Gamecocks have 11 more goals than the Vols. South Carolina also passes the ball well, racking up an SEC-best 36 assists this season.
“I think it’s gotta be our front half passing and them setting the stage,” Pensky said. “They like to set the stage with their two center backs and their two defensive center midfielders. So, the question is, what can we do in our front half to disrupt that?”
The Vols will take on the Gamecocks at 7 p.m. on Thursday. It will be senior night for South Carolina

 

[armchair]

Mad: I haven't heard anything about O'Keefe. Hope she is ok and ready to play. It looked like she got hit pretty hard in the back, as opposed to the head, so I'm going to be optimistic about her.

RE that Vandy story about the tiebreakers, yes, it is confusing. The writer should have told us which three of the four teams that are tied now would get in, were the season to be over now. Vandy apparently loses tiebreakers to UT and Georgia, but maybe it wins a tiebreaker against Kentucky? Otherwise, I don't know how, if all four teams win, Vandy would be in while losing tiebreakers against us and Georgia. It is /very/ unlikely that all four teams will lose, win or tie. So we'll have to see how it shakes out. All four of the teams that are tied are playing a team above it in the conference--we are all underdogs! So we'll see how can get a result. We are definitely in the SEC if we win; there is a good chance we'll be in if we TIE--assuming at least one of the other four loses. It's conceivable we could get in even if we lose--if at least two of the other four lose. But don't hold me to this! This will be a tough game for us. South Carolina has a pretty good scoring team--and so if we get too aggressive we could get burned. Our back four need to play well. To be candid, my big hope is that two of the other four lose. We played a pretty strong game against kentucky but haven't show the ability to put the ball in the net more than once in a game, on average in the conference--and it's very hard to beat good teams scoring only one goal. You're lucky to get a tie. We need to get in the conference tourney just to get a bit more experience for our young players. Fingers crossed.

 

[MAD]

Mad: I haven't heard anything about O'Keefe. Hope she is ok and ready to play. It looked like she got hit pretty hard in the back, as opposed to the head, so I'm going to be optimistic about her.

RE that Vandy story about the tiebreakers, yes, it is confusing. The writer should have told us which three of the four teams that are tied now would get in, were the season to be over now. Vandy apparently loses tiebreakers to UT and Georgia, but maybe it wins a tiebreaker against Kentucky? Otherwise, I don't know how, if all four teams win, Vandy would be in while losing tiebreakers against us and Georgia. It is /very/ unlikely that all four teams will lose, win or tie. So we'll have to see how it shakes out. All four of the teams that are tied are playing a team above it in the conference--we are all underdogs! So we'll see how can get a result. We are definitely in the SEC if we win; there is a good chance we'll be in if we TIE--assuming at least one of the other four loses. It's conceivable we could get in even if we lose--if at least two of the other four lose. But don't hold me to this! This will be a tough game for us. South Carolina has a pretty good scoring team--and so if we get too aggressive we could get burned. Our back four need to play well. To be candid, my big hope is that two of the other four lose. We played a pretty strong game against kentucky but haven't show the ability to put the ball in the net more than once in a game, on average in the conference--and it's very hard to beat good teams scoring only one goal. You're lucky to get a tie. We need to get in the conference tourney just to get a bit more experience for our young players. Fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed.

 

[MAD]

Here's how Georgia soccer can make the SEC Tournament

The entire season of the Georgia soccer team rests on the last game of the season against the No. 6 Florida Gators.
A win and they are guaranteed a spot to Orange Beach, Alabama for the Southeastern Conference Tournament. A draw or a loss means there is still a chance, but severely depends on how all the other teams finish.
It is always great to control your own destiny as a team, but it is unfortunate for Georgia to have the Florida Gators as the team that stands in its way. The all-time series record between the two teams is heavily in Florida’s favor, as Georgia is 2-26-1 against them, including an eight-game losing streak. Add in the fact that the Gators are the top-team in the conference with an overall record of 13-3-1, and it’s clear that the Bulldogs will have a lot to do on Thursday.
Looking at the other teams, Georgia still has a decent shot no matter how it plays Thursday. Mathematically, only Alabama and Arkansas are already eliminated, and the top-six teams of Florida, Missouri, Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas A&M and South Carolina are guaranteed a spot, although the seeding is up in the air. LSU, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State are all within three points of each other and there are plenty of scenarios that will influence which teams get into the tournament.
Currently, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt all have 12 points, and if they all end with the same point totals, head-to-head will be the first tiebreaker. Georgia defeated Vanderbilt, but lost to Tennessee and did not play Kentucky this season. Thankfully for Georgia, all three of these teams could be considered the underdogs in their respective matchups.
Tennessee will be on the road at No. 17 South Carolina, who boasts an 8-1-0 home record. Kentucky hosts LSU, and LSU have struggled this season on the road with a 2-4-0 record. Vanderbilt may have the toughest matchup this week where it must go on the road to Ole Miss and its 9-1-1 home record. There is also Mississippi State who will be home to No. 19 Auburn, but the Tigers will be heavy favorites.
If I had to predict the results of all the games that affect Georgia, it would be as follows: Florida defeats Georgia; South Carolina defeats Tennessee; Kentucky and LSU draw; Auburn defeats Mississippi State; Ole Miss defeats Vanderbilt.
Again, these are simply my predictions, and we never know what could happen in sports. But if these were true, the season would end with Georgia making the tournament as the final team because of a tiebreaker with Vanderbilt.
Losing the last game of the season isn’t the preferred method to enter a postseason tournament, but it remains a possibility for Georgia. Or the Bulldogs could continue their winning streak and beat Florida and not be forced to wait around for the rest of the conference’s results.

 

[MAD]

CULHANE NAMED TO COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM​

Vols' defender Kathryn Culhane was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.

View attachment 102220​

Tennessee redshirt sophomore defender Kathryn Culhane was honored for her play on the field and her work in the classroom today, as she was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 Second Team.

All student athletes selected for the award had to show excellence on and off the field. Nominees had to participate in at least 50 percent of the team’s games and post a minimum GPA of 3.30.

Culhane has started every game for the Volunteers this season, helping lead the team to an SEC best nine shutouts and 0.76 goals against average. The Knoxville native has been one of the top academic performers on the team as well, posting a 3.85 GPA while majoring in engineering.

A complete list of award winners can be seen http://cosida.com/documents/2015/10/29//2015_WSoccer_AcadAllDistrict.pdf?id=1654

 

[MAD]

Vols down early
0-1

 

[MAD]

1/2 Time Vols 0 USC 3

View attachment 102242

 

[armchair]

Wow, I could tell from the start that the Vols were in trouble. They were very tentative, tight--as if the magnitude of the game was too much for them.

So obviously, mad, O'Keefe is hurt as she is not playing. That's a tough loss. However, I do not understand the personnel moves that Pensky made in her absence; I swear, he has NO handle on our personnel. One player gets hurt--and Pensky responds by putting THREE players in positions they haven't played ALL YEAR. He moves Ferguson from her right outside back position to the midfield to replace O'Keefe. That wasn't a good decision, IMO, because Ferguson is simply not a good midfielder. She did play midfield last year--but we did not have a good midfield last year. I smelled trouble when I saw that decision when the lineups were announced. He then puts Jennings in Ferguson's right outside back spot. Jennings hadn't played any position all year until she started the Mississippi game at centerback in place of Santorio. And she did OK if not better than OK at centerback--but outside back is an entirely different role. He also started Gouner at center forward--a position that I don't think she has played all year. She played at forward last game--but on the wing, not in the middle. So we've got new people playing in THREE positions in the final game of the year.

Pensky could have kept Ferguson at her usual position, put Gouner in the midfield--where she has played some this year, I believe--and then started Neal or McClung at forward--both of whom have played A LOT at forward this year, of course. That would have made our midfield better--and everything starts with your midfield. In that way we really wouldn't have had so many people playing out of position. As it was, we started a midfield of Bialczak, who has only just started playing midfield herself (!)position; Cousins, a freshman who is working hard but hasn't exactly been stellar; and Ferguson, who is not a midfielder and hasn't played the position all year. Ugggh.

As it happened, I think it was Jennings who whiffed trying to pass or clear the ball early in the game, which led to USC's first goal tonight. (If it was someone else, pls. correct me, but I think it was her.) The ball was completely missed, which let USC's best player get it and charge toward our goal. Our defenders recovered in time to partially block McCaskill's shot--which dribbled off to the side in front of our goal. Santorio then tries to clear the ball and partially whiffs herself, the ball squirting out to another USC player who kicks it the goal. After that our play got even more tentative, we almost gave up another goal, which led to a corner--and USC put the corner in for goal number 2. I wasn't even watching by then as I could see early on that this was not going to go well. We then gave up another goal on a corner, to trail by 3 goals! We have given up 4 goals on corners in three games--and in the Ole Miss and Kentucky games they resulted in us falling behind in games we really needed to win. Just horrible defending.

Our personnel situation has just not been muddled all year. I get that we've got a lot of first-year players and they need to be tried in different spots, but by the last game of the year you've got to have more continuity than we have--and be better than we are. We can only hope that two of the other four teams with whom we were tied entering the night lose.

 

[MAD]

View attachment 102246

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl-a5vpgYFM[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O93gTZNvYaE[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGQ1KBL8XCQ[/youtube]

 

[MAD]

Final standings have been released and UT finishes 11th, missing out on the conference tournament by one spot.

 

[MAD]

VOLS FALL AT #17 SOUTH CAROLINA, 4-0
Tennessee fell behind early and couldn't rebound in a 4-0 loss to No. 17 South Carolina on Thursday night.

Tennessee gave up three goals in the first 15 minutes and was unable to recover in a 4-0 loss to No. 17 South Carolina on Thursday night at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
On its Senior Night, a pair of South Carolina seniors combined for the first three goals and the Gamecocks held on the rest of the way for their 12th win of the year.

Emily Bollinger scored her first goal of the season after a defensive miscue by the Volunteers in the fifth minute and Carly Ray added back-to-back goals off of corner kicks in the 10th and 15th minutes to extend the lead to 3-0.

Julie Eckel made a couple of fantastic saves for the Vols in the first half to keep the deficit at three heading into the break. Unfortunately, Tennessee (7-5-6, 3-5-3 SEC) was unable to generate much offense in the opening 45 minutes, posting just three shots and only one on goal.

The second half wasn't much better for the Big Orange as the Gamecocks (12-4-2, 6-3-2 SEC) added to their lead in 73rd minute on a goal by Lindsey Lane to make it 4-0 with just under 20 minutes to play.

Tennessee was outshot 21-5 for the game and was held to its lowest shot total this season. Anna Bialczak led the team with two shots and one on goal while Eckel made six saves on the night.

South Carolina's four goals marked the most Tennessee has allowed in a game this season, topping the previous high of three surrendered against No. 12 Florida and Missouri.

"It's 100 percent on our team, on our players, on our coaching staff," head coach Brian Pensky said in regards to the loss after the game.

With the loss, the Vols will miss out on the SEC Tournament after losing a three-way tie breaker with Georgia and Kentucky, who earned the ninth and 10th seeds, respectively.