By Aidan Corley
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Shots, creativity, big saves, penalty controversy, thousands of fans, Tennessee and Florida’s contest on Thursday night had everything. Everything but a goal.
Despite racking up 24 shots, No. 4 Tennessee (11-1-3, 5-1-2 SEC) was held to a 0-0 draw for the second time in as many games by Florida (6-5-4, 2-2-4 SEC). The scoreless draw ended the Lady Vols’ eight-game winning streak against the Gators, but more importantly, felt like “two points dropped” according to head coach Joe Kirt in what is a tight race at the top of the SEC standings.
The result was disappointing for the Lady Vols, but their play on the field was largely encouraging. Tennessee played nearly the entirety of the game on the front foot, creating chance after chance. At times, the opening goal felt inevitable, but it proved to be elusive for both teams as the Lady Vols had to settle for a point.
“How we went about our business in all phases, defending, attacking, transition, first and second ball, it’s all we asked of them. They did that, but we have to score goals to win; that’s the reality of our game,” Kirt said. “Proud of the group, in every phase, they left it out there. It’s a pretty harsh game sometimes.”
First Half Barrage
The first shots of the game fell to the Gators, but neither team could get a foothold in the game in the opening 15 minutes. Shortly after, the game was stopped due to a Florida injury that provided both teams a rare timeout to talk with their coaches.
“Our coaches just had to fire us up a little bit,” Devin Davis and Skylar Miller said. “Mike (Lyons) was like, ‘you guys are being so soft, we don’t take this stuff, go give it to them,’ so then we kind of just were like, alright, turn it on.”
The Lady Vols got their wake-up call, and following the restart, the game immediately sprang into action. Alivia Stott forced Florida keeper Paloma Pena into her first of 11 saves with a shot heading for the bottom left corner, and from then on, the onslaught began. Tennessee tallied up five shots in the next 10 minutes and constantly had Florida on its heels.
Tennessee’s best chance of the half came when Mac Midgley served a free kick into the box that found Anaiyah Robinson coming in on the near post. Robinson was able to make a solid connection with the ball to direct it towards goal, but Pena, as she so often was, was equal to it.
The chemistry of the Lady Vols on the field is very apparent. Everyone on the same page, fluidity of movement, crisp passing, it was all on display. A team that has preached its connectedness all year had as impressive an offensive showing as it has all season, despite the scoreline.
“Our connection off the field is so strong, so I feel like that kind of goes onto the field,” Miller said. “We’re literally sisters, we do everything together. We’re so close, I feel like it translates onto the field.”
The second half continued as the first ended, Tennessee pouring on scoring opportunities. Kate Runyon led the way with three shots on target for the Lady Vols, providing an instant impact off the bench. A golden opportunity fell Runyon’s way in the 81st minute when Sydney Miller played her unmarked in the six-yard box. Runyon’s first-time effort was met by a point-blank save from Pena to keep it all square.
The Volunteer faithful thought Tennessee was awarded a penalty late in the second half. After a Tennessee free kick was lofted to the back post, bodies hit the floor, and the penalty protests began, claiming a push in the back. The referee initially called no penalty, but went back to review his decision. After review, the referee appeared to point to the spot, sending Tennessee fans into a frenzy. Some confusion later, and no penalty was awarded, and Florida played on with a goal kick.
Midgley the Maestro
Mac Midgley was the heartbeat of Tennessee’s offensive creativity. The midfielder often makes doing things with a soccer ball look easy, and makes Florida defenders look like traffic cones. Midgley totaled two shots against the Gators, but her lasting impact is in her ability to create chances for others. Midgley was pulling the strings all night for the Lady Vols.
“She’s just really dynamic. She’s experienced, she can solve stuff on her own, she puts the weight of the team on her shoulders on the front half and bears that burden,” Kirt said. “Does a great job of finding the ball in wide areas, finding central areas, combining, beating players off the dribble, final pass, like she’s got all of that. So much of what makes us dangerous is her.”
Another Game, Another Shutout
Clean sheets are becoming a formality for the Lady Vols, who picked up an NCAA-leading 12th clean sheet on the season. This brings Tennessee just one game away from a program record 13 shutouts in a single season. Tennessee has conceded just five goals throughout the season, tied for the fewest in the country.
“They show up every night, every afternoon, make it really hard on teams in all scenarios. They’re responsible, consistent, they’ve been tremendous all year,” Kirt said. “We know the quality, we see it every day, and there’s no letdown. Pretty good group back there.”
Up Next
Tennessee heads three hours west to Nashville to take on in-state rival Vanderbilt on Sunday, Oct 19, at 5 p.m.
“It’s Vandy, so they’ll be ready for that,” Kirt said.
Who is this reporter? He is fantastic and seems to know the game so well