University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
1-0-0
Oklahoma
0-1-0
UT Soccer Kicks Off With 3-1 Win vs. OU
August 23, 2013 | Soccer
Aug 23, 2013
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The 2013-14 Tennessee sports season started with a bang on Friday night as Tori Bailey, Caroline Brown and Cheyenne Spade scored goals to lift UT past Oklahoma, 3-1, at Regal Soccer Stadium.
Before a boisterous crowd of 1,524, Tennessee (1-0-0) benefited from strong play by old and new stars alike to win its seventh consecutive season opener. Bailey scored in the 13th minute, Brown's match-winner came just before halftime in the 45th minute and Spade netted her first goal as a Volunteer in the 49th minute.
"All wins are good and certainly to get the first one is huge for our team's confidence," UT head coach Brian Pensky said. "We are a new team and you never know when you go into our first game. With the preseason game last week, so you start to get a feel for your team. When you get to play for real, that's when the lights are on and you really get to measure yourselves."
Goalkeeper Julie Eckel (1-0-0) made a strong season debut in goal, making eight saves as Oklahoma fired 14 shots to Tennessee's 13. OU had a 5-4 edge on corners.
Kassidie Stade (0-1-0) took the loss after allowing three scores and making one save.
Bailey, who started in the midfield and played 64 minutes, took the ball off a deflection and made a move to split two defenders. At the top of the box, Bailey ripped a shot on the ground to the lower left to give UT the 1-0 lead.
Devin Barrett evened the game in the 38th minute when a foul in the box gave her a PK. She sent one in on the lower left to tie it at 1-1.
As the clock ticked toward halftime, Brown made a vintage move with 23 second left on the clock. Junior Megan Erskine played a through ball to freshman Emily Morrow. Then Brown muscled her way diagonally through the right side of the box and fired a shot to the upper right corner. UT took a 2-1 lead into the break.
In the 49th minute Brittney Wade sent a pass into the box to fellow junior Hannah Wilkinson. Wilkinson pushed a ball out to Spade, who started at midfield, corralled the ball and fired a shot to the lower left corner to push Tennessee's lead to 3-1.
Eighteen different Volunteers saw action on Friday night, including seven newcomers.
Tennessee will next face Samford in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Tori Bailey (1)
Bailey breaks 2 def, shot from top of bo
12:17
Devin Barrett (1)
OU Devin Barrett PENALTY KICK GOAL, goal number 1 for season.
37:39
Caroline Brown (1)
Assisted By: Emily Morrow , Megan Erskine
Brown from Morrow in OU third. Brown sco
44:37
Cheyenne Spade (1)
Assisted By: Hannah Wilkinson , Brittney Wade
Off deflection from top of box. Score in
48:53
