University of Tennessee Athletics
Kim Patrick: Making the Adjustment from UNC to UT
September 17, 2001 | Soccer
Sept. 17, 2001
By Justin Gallagher
Lady Vol forward Kim Patrick knows what it's like to reach the pinnacle of women's collegiate soccer. Patrick, a junior who transferred to Tennessee from the University of North Carolina in January 2001, already has two NCAA Championship rings and was a member of the Under-16 and Under-18 U.S. National Teams.
But, like her sports idol Michael Jordan, Patrick's thirst for championships and success is never quenched.
"I think she has a tremendous mentality and desire to win," said second-year Lady Vol soccer coach Angela Kelly.
With the championship experience comes leadership responsibility. Patrick leads by example and knows what it takes for a young UT squad to advance significantly into postseason tournaments.
"When you're competitive, you have to have that intensity," Patrick said. "In order to win, you can't lack that intensity."
The 5-foot-5 junior from Pleasanton, Calif., is already letting her presence be known on the field. A forward, Patrick currently leads the 16th-ranked Lady Vols (3-1) in shots with 15. She also notched her first goal last Sunday (Sept. 9) in a 3-0 victory over Rutgers in the championship match of the JMU/Comfort Inn Invitational in Harrisonburg, Va. The tournament title was the first in the program's six-year school history.
"Coming from (North) Carolina, you're expected to win," Patrick said. "Here, it's the start of a new wave - where this team has the ability to be a dominant team."
Ironically, the Lady Vols got a first-hand view of Patrick's scoring ability before her transfer. During her freshman and sophomore years at UNC, she exploded for four goals in two matches against the Lady Vols. During her sophomore season, she had another two-goal outburst against what will be a new SEC Eastern Division rival for her, South Carolina.
When it came down to crunch time, Patrick came up big against perennial soccer power Notre Dame, assisting on the game-winning goal in the 1999 NCAA final. Not to be outdone, she scored the game-tying goal in the 2000 NCAA Semifinal against the undefeated and then top-ranked Fighting Irish. Patrick finished with 27 goals and 12 assists in her two seasons with UNC and was named as an Honorable Mention All-American by College Soccer Online as a sophomore.
UT will host the 16-time NCAA champion Tar Heels on Wednesday, Sept. 26, a day in which Patrick admits will feel a little awkward. "It'll be different seeing them on the other side, but it should be a good match," she said.
Patrick shows the same amount of dedication in the classroom as she does on the soccer field. "With anything I do, I want to do it to the best of my ability," she said.
The exercise science major said she enjoys hanging out with her teammates and friends in her spare time away from the field and classroom. Patrick also stays in close contact with her family in California.
With UT already building on last year's success, when it finished second in the league with a 7-2 mark, the bar of expectations is being raised for the Lady Vol soccer program. Last weekend's tournament title is just the first step in what looks to be many successful climbs for UT.
"When I step back and look at it, I really think it's a great start for us," she said.
