Lady Vols Fall to Portland in Sweet 16

Saturday, November 24

Portland, OR

University of Tennessee

15-5-2

Portland

18-3-0

TENNESSEE

Portland

November 25, 2007 | Soccer

Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. ??? In front of a crowd of 4,841 at Portland???s Merlo Field, the University of Tennessee women???s soccer team saw its season come to an end in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Pilots recorded a 3-0 win to advance to the Elite Eight. The Orange and White finish the season with a 15-5-2 record overall.
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???I just want to congratulate Portland,??? UT Head Coach Angela Kelly said. ???I think that, dating back to my days as a player, this is the most dynamic, attacking squad from the Portland side that I???ve every seen...I would be shocked if they don???t win the national championship this year.???
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Portland got on the board first in the 16th minute, getting a goal from sophomore forward and leading scorer Michelle Enyeart. After winning the ball on the right side of the field, freshman Sophie Schmidt fed Enyeart in the box, where she beat Tennessee junior keeper Jaimel Johnson on the ground.
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The Pilots??? second goal came just two minutes later, when Schmidt had a shot saved by Johnson which slipped out of her hands. Senior defender Erica Griffin made a clear attempt in the box, but UP senior midfielder Natalie Budge got in the way and the ball bounced off Budge and into the goal.
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???They???re very sophisticated,??? Kelly said. ???They definitely take advantage and punish you for your mistakes. They have a lot of world-class players and it was evident.???
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The Pilots began the game at a frantic pace, controlling possession and taking 13 shots, 10 of which were on goal, in the first 23 minutes of play. The Lady Vols took three shots, putting just one on frame in the first half.
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???[Portland???s] rhythm and pace at the beginning of the game made a difference,??? Kelly said. ???As soon as they got that one goal, it was like they drew blood and they wanted more.???
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Tennessee???s best chance of the half came in the 41st minute when junior forward Kylee Rossi found herself with the ball in the box after a defensive miscue by UP. Rossi ripped a shot from 15 yards, but sent it sailing high over the crossbar.
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Sophomore midfielder Mick Imgram notched UT???s only shot on goal in the first 45 minutes, forcing Pilots keeper Kelsey Davis to make a save on a free kick from 40 yards out.
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Despite giving up two goals, Johnson and the back line were the difference between the 2-0 lead and a 5-0 Pilots lead in the first half. Johnson made nine saves in the first 45 minutes, including two kick saves on shots from inside 10 yards. The defense also made one save of its own and blocked several UP shots.
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Portland came out of the locker rooms with the same energy, finding the back of the net just over one minute into the second frame. Senior defender Stephanie Lopez found Enyeart at the top of the box where she ripped a shot past Johnson for her second score of the match.
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Following the Pilot goal, Tennessee stepped up, sending more players forward and creating several chances in the second half. After earning their first corner of the match in the 61st minute, the Lady Vols got two of their best opportunities of the match off the next two corner kicks.
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???I???m very, very proud of my team,??? I wouldn???t trade any of [our players] for the world. They competed and they had a great mentality and that???s all I asked for. They were just out-classed today by, in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best, teams in the country.???
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The first chance came in the 66th minute, when freshman forward Devon Swaim sent a ball in from the right corner which nearly curled into the goal had it not been for the jumping save by Davis, putting the ball over the crossbar.
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The subsequent corner saw Swaim put another great ball into the box which found Rossi???s head about six yards out. The resulting header forced Davis to make yet another jumping save, pushing the ball up and over the crossbar.
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Though she allowed the third goal early in the half, Johnson continued her impressive performance through the final 45 minutes. The Dayton, Ohio native faced another eight Portland shots in the second frame, making three saves.
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???If the ball gets past the defense then it???s my job to come up with the save,??? Johnson said.
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The junior made 12 total saves in the match, setting a new career high and matching the third-best performance in program history in a single match by a UT goalkeeper. Johnson???s biggest save of the second half came one-on-one with Portland freshman midfielder Elli Reed from eight yards which she stopped and pushed up and over the crossbar.
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???[Jaimel???s] a tremendous goalkeeper,??? Kelly said. ???The athleticism she brings to the table, her competitive ability and her ability to distribute are all very high. Her shot stopping ability, in my opinion, is the best in the country.???
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The loss marks the fifth time in the last six seasons that the Lady Vols have ended their season in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Orange and White are now 10-6-2 all time in the NCAA Tournament.
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Portland moves on to face the lone No. 1 seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament in UCLA for a berth in the College Cup.

Portland vs. Tennessee Quotes

Tennessee

Head Coach Angela Kelly (on Portland):
That???s the most dynamic offensive team from the Portland side that I???ve ever seen. I would be shocked if they don???t win the national championship this year.

Kelly (on the what hurt Tennessee the most):
We were a step slow in the defensive third, and if you???re a step late, it???s a domino effect. As soon as they got that one goal, it was like they drew blood and wanted more.

Kelly (on her team):
I???m very proud of my team and I wouldn???t trade any of my girls for the world. They competed and they had a great mentality and that???s all I ask for.

Kelly (on Jaimel Johnson):
She???s a tremendous goalkeeper. Her shot-stopping ability is the best in the country and she has my vote for the best keeper in the country.

Jaimel Johnson (on setting a career high in saves):
If the ball gets past the defense, than it???s my job to come up with saves. That???s just part of the game.

Kylee Rossi:
We were going to battle the whole time and we weren???t ever going to give up. That???s just our philosophy.

Portland

Head Coach Garrett Smith:
The team came out and started exactly the way we wanted to. We had a lot of energy and it was great to be back at home seeing our team play at Merlo Field. But probably the most important thing about the game was that we came out with that exact same intensity in the second half and we scored our third goal and at that point put the game away.

Sophie Schmidt (on her two assists):
I have tremendous confidence in my teammates. I know that they???ll get the job done and put the ball away. It was important for us to be able to get the game in control and I felt tremendous joy seeing my teammates being able to score.

Michelle Enyeart (on Schmidt???s assist to her goal):
It was nice to get ahead early. She played a great ball through that I was able to finish. It was a great start to the game.

Enyeart (on UP???s energy):
It???s the third round of the playoffs and we know that it is the last game if we lose. All the teams have to come out with a high level of energy and we have to try and put one away no matter how long it takes.

Schmidt (on UP???s defense):
We have a tremendous back four, goalkeeper and midfielders. It???s nerve-settling to know that they???re back there and they will correct anything that happens. It gives us the opportunity to be more creative with how we play, which is a great thing.

Schmidt (on Tennessee):
It was a battle out there from start to finish. Every ball we had to fight for. Those goals we had to fight for. Even with ten minutes left, they were still going at us. They never ceased to push us.

Smith (on Tennessee):
You???ve got to give Tennessee a lot of credit. It???s never easy going into someone else???s place and in front of their crowd. There was fight in them to the very end, and it shows a lot about the character of their program. They???re a program that???s been in the playoffs before and they???ll continue to be in the playoffs and I know that they???re going to succeed in the future because that fight is in them.

Enyeart (on UCLA):
Unlike before, it is do or die now and hopefully we will come out and we???ll get the better of them this time.

Schmidt (on UCLA):
We have taken tremendous strides since the last time we played UCLA, in terms of healthy bodies, confidence in ourselves and enjoying the way we play. UCLA is not to be taken lightly, but I have tremendous confidence in the group we have now that we can get the job done.