University of Tennessee Athletics
1999 Soccer Season In Review
March 14, 2000 | Soccer
With 20 letterwinners and nine starters returning from a team which had notched a school-record 12 victories and a placing of sixth in the final NSCAA Central Region rankings in 1998, the Lady Vol soccer team seemed poised to take another step up the Southeastern Conference ladder. Despite breaking into the Soccer America poll for the first time in mid-September, the '99 campaign proved to be one of bitter disappointment for the Tennessee program. Coached by Charlie MacCabe, the Orange managed to reach the SEC Tournament for the third time in four seasons, but wound up 8-11-1 overall.
Playing before a crowd of 4,655 fans at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, the second-largest regular-season attendance in North Carolina's illustrious history, the Lady Volunteer soccer team opened its fourth season of competition on Sept. 1 against the #1 Tar Heels. MacCabe's club more than held its own against the powerhouse program which would later achieve its record 16th NCAA championship and 19th straight Final Four appearance, but fell by a 3-0 count.
Tennessee had a golden opportunity to begin the scoring 19:12 into the match, as junior forward Laura Lauter drew UNC freshman keeper Jenni Branam completely out of the net and fired a shot from the left corner of the 18 at the vacant goal. A sliding save by Tar Heel All-American defender Lindsay Stoecker thrwarted Lauter's attempt, and a follow-up rebound by UT senior Kendyl Michner also went wide.
North Carolina did not get on the scoreboard until 28 minutes had elapsed in the contest, and UT trailed just 1-0 at the intermission. On the night, the Tar Heels held a commanding 33-4 advantage in shots and a 9-0 tally in corner kicks. Sophomore Ellen Dean made a then career-high nine stops in goal for the Lady Vols, while Branam made one save to pick up the shutout in her first collegiate game.
Making their debut at the Tennessee Soccer Complex, the Lady Vols captured their home opener for the fourth consecutive season with a 4-2 triumph over Conference USA foe Marquette. Although the match was deadlocked at two goals apiece at the intermission, the All-SEC duo of Lauter and sophomore Allison Campbell each found the back of the net in the second stanza to lead the Orange and White to its initial win of the season.
Michner opened the scoring 13:37 into the match when she headed in a direct kick taken by junior midfielder Kelly Berrall. After the Golden Eagles knotted the contest at 1-1 nearly seven minutes later, UT seized the advantage for the second time on the afternoon at 22:35 following a brilliant individual effort by Lauter. The speedy forward from Farragut, Tenn., received a touch pass from Campbell and managed to lure MU junior keeper Mo Bothwell out of position. From there, Lauter lofted a left-side shot from around 20 yards out into the vacant net.
Marquette answered again at 26:22 to even the score at two when Tennessee was whistled for pulling an opposing defender down inside of the box. The hosts moved ahead to stay at 50:35, when Lauter's attempt found the lower corner of the goal past Bothwell. Michner was credited with the assist, as her feed enabled Lauter to ease past the Golden Eagle defenders. The multiple-goal effort was the sixth of the junior's career. The Lady Vols added an insurance goal with 17:12 remaining in the contest, as Campbell's blast from 45 yards out went over the head of MU substitute goalkeeper Ashleigh Koenig.
Entertaining Western Division foe Auburn in its league opener on Sept. 10, the Lady Vols used a dominating defense and an opportunistic offense to post a 5-1 triumph. MacCabe's squad outshot the Tigers, 31-1, and used a balanced attack, as five different players scored. UT was led by sophomore Campbell's four-point effort on a goal and a couple of assists.
Senior defender Heather Redecker opened the scoring at 16:10 following a scramble in front, as Campbell and sophomore midfielder Jen Laughridge earned assists on the play. The goal was the second of Redecker's career and her first since a match Sept. 26, 1997 versus Kentucky.
Campbell set up the Lady Vols' second tally on the night, as her cross to sophomore midfielder Tara Minnax at 32:11 allowed the Tampa, Fla., native to register her first score of the campaign. Berrall extended the lead to 3-0 just over six minutes later when Michner delivered a perfect pass which was deposited into the left side of the goal past Auburn freshman keeper Theresa Campioli.
Leading by a 3-0 count at the intermission, Tennessee had enjoyed a whopping 17-0 shot advantage during the contest's first 45 minutes. Campbell netted her second goal of the season at 68:49 off a steal from a Tiger defender inside the box to increase the UT lead to 4-0.
Auburn averted the shutout at 76:19 when sophomore Tammy Waine took a feed from classmate Gretchen Winter and broke in alone on UT senior goalkeeper Sarah Shivley. Lady Vol senior Brooke Sweeney finalized the margin at 5-1 with an unassisted effort at 85:33 off a deflection from around 18 yards out.
Sunday, Sept. 12, appeared to be a breakthrough day for the Lady Vols, as they toppled 16th-ranked Alabama, 3-1, to complete a sweep of their opening weekend of SEC action. Not only was the triumph UT's first over the Tide after suffering a pair of one-goal defeats the previous two seasons, but it also enabled the Orange and White to begin league play 2-0 for the first time.
Alabama sophomore forward Danielle Watson put the visitors on the board at 4:36 with a shot from around 20 yards out into the top right corner. However, the Orange answered just over 15 minutes into the contest, as a corner kick taken by junior Rachael Newkirk ricocheted off Campbell's chest and into the goal. The Livonia, Mich., native was positioned on the far post and the cross by Newkirk was just high enough for Campbell to tally her third goal of '99.
Lauter gave the Lady Vols the advantage at 24:41 with a spectacular rush through several Alabama defenders. The forward wheeled and dealed down the right side of the field and managed to beat first team All-SEC goalkeeper Rachel Brown on the left side for her third score of the campaign. Momentum shifted back and forth through the second half before Michner fired in a direct kick at 73:02 to provide the Big Orange with a 3-1 cushion.
The Tide had a golden opportunity to edge closer with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation, as junior midfielder Tiffany Carle attempted a penalty kick. Remarkably, Dean rose to the challenge and thwarted not only the initial shot with a diving deflection but also a follow-up by the UA player. The saves marked the first time in school history that Tennessee had stopped a penalty kick by the opposition. Dean was later named to Soccer America's Team of the Week for her sterling play.
Despite climbing into the national rankings earlier in the day, the Lady Vols offense came up short against visiting Loyola College on Sept. 20, falling by a slim 1-0 difference. The loss was UT's first since the season-opening setback at the hands of #1 North Carolina and would signal the start of a five-game losing skein. Although UT out-shot the Greyhounds by a 25-4 margin, LC junior goalkeeper Julie Kapcala made 10 saves to register the shutout. The lone goal of the match was scored with just 2:13 remaining until the intermission, as sophomore Naura Groarke deposited a shot into the lower right of the goal past UT keeper Shivley.
Hosting the First Tennessee Bank Classic over the weekend of Sept. 17-19, the Lady Vols squandered a 1-0 halftime lead over George Mason by surrendering three goals in the second frame to find themselves on the short end of a 3-1 margin. Sweeney had broken a scoreless tie at 33:03 with her second goal of the campaign, an arching shot from 18 yards on the right side that eluded GMU freshman goalkeeper Naomi Hines, but the Patriots responded with plenty of offense to earn the win.
During its second game of the weekend, Iowa State equaled a school record with its seventh straight win, a 1-0 blanking at the expense of UT. The Cyclones notched the only goal of the match at 25:50, as the Orange was held scoreless for the second time in its last three matches. The duo of Campbell (one shot) and Lauter (zero attempts) was held in check repeatedly by a strong ISU defense.
Putting its perfect 2-0 SEC record on the line at Eastern Division rival Kentucky in Lexington on Sept. 24, the Lady Vols aimed to defeat the Wildcats for the first time in the program's history. Unfortunately, the squad saw its offensive woes continue and endured a 3-0 blanking.
Despite a career-high 12 saves by Dean at in-state rival Vanderbilt two days later, the sophomore's heroics could not prevent the Lady Vols from reeling to another defeat. Although Michner helped Tennessee avoid being shut out for the third straight match at 67:25 when she headed in a corner kick taken Minnax, the Commodores posted a 3-1 decision.
Meeting UNC Asheville on Sept. 28 at the Tennessee Soccer Complex, the Lady Vols finally put the brakes on their five-game skid with their best offensive output of the campaign to blank the Bulldogs, 6-0. MacCabe's unit managed a 35-6 disparity in shots toward registering its first shutout of the '99 campaign. Both Minnax and Lauter each scored twice in the team's first win in over two weeks.
Journeying to California for the first time, the Lady Vols met 22nd-ranked Cal in Berkeley on Oct. 1 in what would become one of the low points of the entire year. Devastating news for UT happened midway through the second half when Lauter went down hard with a knee injury and did not return. The All-SEC performer would later be diagnosed with torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in her left knee that caused her to miss the rest of the season.
Despite a goal with 25 seconds remaining in the match by Berrall from 35 yards out, Tennessee wound up on the short end of a 2-1 margin. Ironically, the Orange played a woman-up for the final 31 minutes of the contest after Golden Bear goalkeeper Maite Zabala was issued a red card and ejected following a collision with Laughridge.
Concluding its two-match West Coast swing a couple of days later, the Lady Vols and the University of San Francisco battled to a scoreless tie on an overcast afternoon in the "City by the Bay." The match was the Lady Vols' sixth-ever overtime affair and was just the second stalemate in the program's four-year existence. With the tie, MacCabe's squad was now 4-7-1 overall, while the Dons moved to 2-9-2.
It was a another visit to the heartbreak hotel for the Lady Vols in SEC activity on Oct. 8, as host Georgia converted a penalty kick in the ninth minute of the first overtime period to hand Tennessee a stinging 2-1 defeat. Freshman Carolyn Cayard tallied both goals for the Bulldogs, as UGA extended its home unbeaten streak to 13 matches.
A goal by Campbell gave the visitors a 1-0 advantage at 50:29 off assists from Laughridge and senior Heather Handel. The goal was the first scored in Athens versus the Bulldogs all season, a span of over 900 minutes. Georgia tied the match at 61:35 when Cayard scored off a direct kick from the penalty arc before the rookie stepped up to the hash mark in overtime and drilled a shot to the left side past Dean for the winner.
Reigning national champion and SEC front-runner Florida visited Knoxville a week later and handed the Lady Vol soccer team a 5-1 setback. Already down 3-0, Tennessee pulled the zero off the board at 22:45, as Laughridge banged home her first goal of the season for the Lady Volunteers' first score against Florida since Sept. 29, 1996. Still, UT would succumb to the eventual league champs, 5-1, to dip to 4-9-1 overall and 2-4 in the SEC.
With its SEC Tourney options starting to slip away, the Lady Vols rode a heroic effort by Campbell to their most important victory of the season on Oct. 17, as they toppled South Carolina, 4-2. After the Lady Gamecocks netted the only goal of the first half, the second stanza belonged to Campbell, as the standout notched a Tennessee Soccer Complex-record four goals to lift the Lady Vols. At 60:08, she converted a direct kick taken by Berrall to knot the match at one goal apiece. Only 1:17 later, she took a feed from junior Tori Beeler and raced down the left wing for a breakaway goal.
Jennie Ondo answered for USC at 62:04 with the equalizer by ramming home a loose rebound in front of the Tennessee net. The Berrall-Campbell combination put the hosts ahead to stay at 77:07, as the sophomore notched her second career hat trick with a header off another direct kick. The Big Orange added an insurance tally with 5:10 remaining in regulation, as Laughridge threaded a pass through the Carolina defense to Campbell, who made several moves on the left side of the field before beating Carrie Warner for her fourth of the afternoon.
The four-goal effort raised the sophomore's team-best output to nine tallies on the season, including seven in league action. In addition, Campbell's career total was now 26 scores, moving her one past the injured Lauter for the most in school history. The scoring explosion was also the second-best ever, as Campbell netted five goals in an 8-1 pounding of UNC Asheville on Sept. 18, 1998.
The Lady Vols then traveled to Oxford the following Friday night in a crucial SEC matchup for both squads. A Rebel victory would clinch the Western Division crown for Ole Miss, while a Lady Vol triumph would secure Tennessee's third berth in the SEC Tournament in the program's four-year existence.
Following a scoreless first half, the home team drew first blood at 55:17 when senior Amaris Weeks powered a shot past Dean off a cross from junior Sarah Wong. Trailing 1-0 deep into the contest, UT received a critical call in its favor with 8:58 remaining in regulation, as Ole Miss was whistled for a foul inside the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Michner stepped up to the hash mark and went low on the right side to beat Rebel keeper Birna Bjornsdittir to notch the match at a goal apiece.
The clubs battled through the final moments of regular time and went into the first 15-minute sudden-death session. With nothing settled despite several opportunities from both the Lady Vols and Rebels, another OT period was required.
Just 1:55 into the second extra stanza, Campbell once again came through in the clutch, as she took a feed from Berrall and blazed through of pair of Ole Miss defenders toward the net. With a swift motion of her right foot, the All-SEC player knocked in her first-ever "Golden Goal" to help the Orange and White notch a 2-1 win.
Closing out its league schedule two days later in Starkville, the Lady Vols once again went down to the wire, this time with Western Division rival Mississippi State. Trailing 1-0 early in the second half, freshman Meghan Chismark picked an opportune time for her first collegiate goal off assists from Handel and Laughridge to knot the match at 1-1.
Deadlocked at one, it seemed as if another extra session was imminent. Laughridge managed a breakaway with 1:30 left in regulation, but a MSU defender was forced to pull the sophomore down, resulting in a red card and an ejection. On the ensuing direct kick, Michner drilled a shot into the upper right corner for the game-winner. With the triumph, the club's third in a row, Tennessee finished its league slate with a 5-4 mark and earned the seventh seed for the SEC Tournament.
Playing its final home match of the campaign on Oct. 27 before 418 chilled partisans, the Lady Vols used a multiple-pronged offensive attack to snap visiting Radford's winning skein at seven contests, 5-0.
Laughridge put the Orange on the board 16:19 into the match when she broke through the middle and beat Radford goalkeeper Nyiesha Ford from seniors Michner and Handel. Laughridge would then notch her second of the evening at 25:47 off a cross taken by Berrall. The Wilson, N.C., native powered a shot on the fly into the net for her first career multiple-goal effort.
Tennessee extended its lead to 3-0 only 2:07 later, as Chismark knocked in a rebound off a feed from Sweeney for her second score in as many games. At 40:52, Holmes enabled Chismark to register her third tally of '99 with a pass that resulted in a shot from the right side. Campbell managed UT's final goal of the contest, pushing the margin to 5-0 at 62:05, with an assist credited to Sweeney. The score was Campbell's team-best 11th of the year and came during a match in which she sat out most of the first half with an injury.
Journeying to Charlottesville, Va., to close out its regular season on Halloween, the Lady Vols saw a crippling end to their four-match winning streak, falling to host #12 Virginia, 4-0. The Cavaliers held a 13-3 advantage in shots, allowing only two attempts from Laughridge and one from Sweeney. The shot total of three marked Tennessee's lowest output since October 4, 1998, versus #1 North Carolina.
Only one ball found its way into the back of the net in the first round of the SEC Tourney match-up between second-seeded Ole Miss and seventh seed Tennessee in Nashville on Nov. 4. Unfortunately for the Lady Volunteers, junior Sara Shauberger of the Rebels registered her first career goal with a header off a direct kick with 4:59 remaining in the opening half to account for the lone score. First team All-SEC midfielder Jennifer Soileau was credited with the assist on the play, providing enough offense to give Ole Miss its first Tourney victory ever.
For MacCabe's squad, this was the club's second straight 1-0 setback in the post-season and marked the third straight time Tennessee has been blanked at SECs. In 1998, host Alabama pinned a 1-0 loss on the Lady Vols, and in 1996, Florida won by a 3-0 count over UT.
Campbell and Berrall were named second team All-SEC as well as being selected to the All-Central Region third team in voting released by Soccer Buzz Magazine. Campbell joined Kassie Kees as the only Lady Vols to receive this national recognition in consecutive seasons, as Kees made the second team in 1997 and was a third team member in '98.
Additionally, the forward was the only UT player chosen Third Team All-Central Region by the NSCAA. On the campaign, the "Franchise" was once again the club's leader in shots (95), points (26) and goals (11) and now holds school records for shots (184), points (72), goals (28) and assists (16).
Away from the soccer field, Tennessee placed second in the league with 13 student-athletes on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Included in this group were seniors Heather Handel, Stacey Longino, Melissa Majcher, Heather Redecker and Sarah Shivley, along with juniors Kelly Berrall, Laura Lauter, Rachael Newkirk, Lisa Tipton, and sophomores Allison Campbell, Ellen Dean, Sharon Holmes, and Kim Sgarlata.
According to an announcement made by UT women's athletics director Joan Cronan on January 5, 2000, MacCabe made the decision to resign after four seasons due to personal reasons. Soon after, MacCabe's assistant for the past four years, Angela Kelly, took over the reins, making her the youngest head coach in the SEC.
Kelly arrived in Knoxville in January 1996 after a distinguished playing career under legendary coach Anson Dorrance at North Carolina, and had previously assisted MacCabe in all aspects of UT's soccer program.
"I am excited about the opportunity that lies ahead," stated Kelly. "I am looking forward to the challenge of putting Lady Vol soccer on the map. I have already accomplished the goal of winning a national championship as a player, I now look forward to working toward a title as a head coach. I am grateful that the University of Tennessee will provide me that opportunity. My immediate focus is to hit the recruiting trail right away along with preparing my team for the 2000 campaign."
