By Aidan Corley
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – There was drama, there was intensity, there was frustration, but in the end, the Lady Vols did what they usually do: win.
The narrow 1-0 victory for No. 5 Tennessee (9-1-1, 3-1-0) was the third straight in SEC play, as the upset-minded Texas A&M Aggies (3-5-3, 0-4-0) dropped their fifth straight game.
Friday night, under the lights, Summit Blue kits, the scene was set for a great night of soccer in a packed-out Regal Stadium, but as the clock drew closer to an end with no goals scored, the tension became more and more palpable. In the 70th minute, sophomore Reese Mattern provided the magic moment that would eventually decide the game. Senior Mac Midgley picked up the ball in space in a dangerous position, and found Mattern at the top of the box who slotted the ball in the bottom right corner off a first-time finish.
“All you need is one to win the game,” Mattern said. “Scoring that when we still had time to get more and time to defend was great for the team, and just kind of raise that energy.”
Texas A&M Parks the Bus
From kick off, the message from Texas A&M was clear: sit back, absorb pressure, look to hit Tennessee on the counter. The setup was a difficult one to break down, and can easily frustrate opposing teams. The Aggies lined up with a wall of five defenders across the back, deviating from their typical formation, something Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt wasn’t expecting.
“They haven’t played that all year, didn’t expect that,” Kirt said. “They were well organized defensively, and not a ton of chances. It’s hard, you got to be patient.”
Tennessee controlled the pace of play throughout the first half, ending with 63% of the possession, but scoring opportunities for the Lady Vols were few and far between. They totaled up three shots in the first 45 minutes, none of which were on target. The best chance fell to senior Jenna Stayart after a Mattern cross bounced around the box, but Stayart’s shot was quickly swallowed up by an Aggie defender before it could trouble the goal. Keaton Mitchell and Sydney Miller both saw shots from well outside the box fly wide as the Lady Vols left the first half empty-handed.
Dramatic Second 45
Once the second half began, the intensity was cranked up to a 10. Just five minutes into the half, Tennessee thought they had earned themselves a penalty after a handball in the box. The referee initially pointed to the spot, but upon further review, the call was rescinded.
The game began to open up, and chances started to pop up on both ends immediately after the penalty controversy. Pre-season All-America watchlist striker Kaylee Noble strided into the box and looked to be in on goal before Leah Klurman met her with a crunching tackle to keep the game all square.
The Aggies had more shots roll just wide of the post, and Tennessee had some desperation attempts fly over the bar. The first shot on target for the Lady Vols came from Alivia Stott with just over 20 minutes left in the game. Shortly after, Mattern finally found the breakthrough.
The relief and celebration were short-lived as Texas A&M piled on the pressure to make for a grandstand finale. The Aggies came closest to tying the game when Holly Storer struck the crossbar. Texas A&M accumulated eight shots in the second half, and goalkeeper Cayden Norris made three saves and remained cool and composed when it mattered most.
“I know that the people in front of me, their minds are racing, they’re tired, they’ve been playing for 90 minutes, so I think it’s on me to calm them down and keep their heads in it,” Norris said. “They’re doing their job, and I can see everything. So I think it’s on me to just keep talking to them, keep them calm.”
The Tennessee defense kept its ninth clean sheet in 11 games this season. The backline in front of Norris has been consistent and reliable all year, with the same four defenders starting 10 of 11 games together.
“That’s where we need to be the most solid, and that speaks to what they’ve been able to do,” Kirt said. “They know each other, right? They know how to cover, their communication, they understand where they’re going to be, so that familiarity is huge for us.”
Strength In Numbers
Mattern’s goal was her second of the season and Tennessee’s 26th overall. The Lady Vols have had 10 different goal scorers within those 26 goals, proving just how deep their roster is.
“It’s a sign of great teams,” Kirt said. “Teams can’t take away everyone, they can key in on a couple of players, but if our players step up to help us score goals it allows us to stay balanced. We’ve got confidence and belief in all of them.”
Up Next
Tennessee will host the No. 17-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on October 2. The Lady Vols will look to make it four SEC wins in a row.
“Georgia is going to be a huge test for us; we’re excited about it,” Kirt said. “Excited to get them out here in Regal, hopefully we’ll get another great crowd, but they’re going to be a great test.”