#21 Vols Lose to #3 South Carolina in Overtime, 1-0

Sunday, September 24

Columbia, SC

2:00 PM

University of Tennessee

9-1-1 (1-1-1,SEC)

South Carolina

9-1-0 (3-0-0,SEC)

OT 2

Tennessee

South Carolina

September 24, 2017 | Soccer

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — The No. 21 Tennessee Volunteers lost their first soccer match of the season Sunday, falling to the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks 1-0 in the first overtime period Sunday at Stone Stadium.

In the fifth minute of overtime, Lauren Chang scored the decider in traffic off a pass from Luciana Zullo.

The Vols (9-1-1, 1-1-1 SEC) played their second consecutive overtime game after a 1-1 tie against Auburn at home Thursday. South Carolina (9-1-0, 3-0-0) leads the SEC standings after winning all their conference matches by 1-0 scores.

"I'm so proud of, and gutted for, our team," Tennessee head coach Brian Pensky said. "Our kids played so hard, and so well, and certainly did enough to at least earn a point on the road. As we all know, that's sports. That's soccer.

"The ones who are tough and resilient survive and eventually thrive, and that will be us. Our kids are both tough and resilient. They need to hold their heads high and just keep fighting. Results in these types of games will come."

South Carolina narrowly out-shot Tennessee in the first half, 6 to 5. Redshirt freshman Erin Gilroy produced the Lady Vols' best chance, rocketing a shot to goalkeeper Mike Krzeczowski in the fourth minute of the game.

Both offenses turned up the steam in the early goings of the second half.

South Carolina's Savanna McCaskill broke away for a 1-on-1 opportunity with Shae Yanez, who came up with the diving grab in the 50th minute.

On the next Tennessee possession, redshirt sophomore Katie Cousins rifled a shot that was batted away by leaping Gamecock goalkeeper, Mika Krzeczowski. A few minutes later, junior Khadija Shaw narrowly missed a goal of her own on a header that ricocheted down off the crossbar and bounced in front of the goal line.

South Carolina out-shot Tennessee 17 to 10 in the game with Yanez coming up with five saves for the Vols.

Tennessee has just one match next week, a Thursday road game at Alabama at 7 p.m. Eastern. It will be televised nationally on the SEC Network, the Vols' third nationally televised game of the season.

NOTES

The starting lineup was the same as in Thursday's double-overtime 1-1 draw with Auburn. Freshman Wrenne French made her second consecutive start at left wingback. Fellow freshman Paige Franks started again at the opposite defensive spot.
Four Vols played all 205 minutes this week: goalkeeper Shae Yanez, defender Mackenzie Gouner, defender Maya Neal and midfielder Katie Cousins.