University of Tennessee Athletics
13TH-RANKED SOCCER PREPARES FOR SEC TOURNEY TILT AGAINST GEORGIA
November 05, 2002 | Soccer
Nov. 5, 2002
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
Head Coach Angela Kelly's Lady Vol soccer team, riding a four-match unbeaten streak that has boosted its record to 13-5-1, will kick off its postseason on Thursday afternoon against Georgia (8-10-1) in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament hosted by the University of Mississippi. The No. 13 Lady Vols and the Bulldogs will be meeting for the second time in less than a week, as the Orange notched a 2-1 triumph in overtime last Friday night at the UT Soccer Complex.
Seeded second in the event by virtue of its first Eastern Division crown, Tennessee will tangle with seventh-seeded UGA at 5 p.m. CT at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. The last five encounters between the schools have been decided by one goal, including three overtime affairs. The home team has claimed all seven outings so playing at a neutral site will end that statistical anomaly.
"This will be our biggest challenge thus far all season," said Kelly. "Georgia is a very talented team with many dynamic personalities. Sue Patberg is a tremendous coach and she will have her team very well prepared. As you know in athletics, it is very difficult to beat any team twice, especially within the same week. We will have to have a great game to compete with Georgia tomorrow."
Senior Kim Patrick (Pleasanton, Calif.) and junior Rhian Wilkinson (Baie d'Urfe, Quebec) have provided the Lady Vol offense with a formidable one-two punch. Within the league's overall stats, Patrick ranks third in points (30) and is tied for fourth in both goals (11) and assists (eight). Meanwhile, her teammate is tied for fourth in points (29), rates first in assists (13) and is among several players with eight goals. Wilkinson finished second in SEC matches with 14 points (5G, 4A) and Patrick finished third with 13 points (4G, 5A). The crafty Canadian has scored in her last four matches and was named as the SEC Player of the Week on Oct. 28.
Sophomore midfielder Kayla Lockaby (Hamilton, Ohio) has nearly tripled her output as a rookie, totaling 20 points on seven goals and six assists to rank third on the Big Orange in scoring. Sophomore Lyndsey Patterson (Puyallup, Wash.) and senior Jen Laughridge (Wilson, N.C.) have each recorded career highs with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
The Lady Vol defense, consisting of sophomore standout Keeley Dowling (Carmel, Ind.) and juniors Carie Swibas (Lakewood, Colo.) and Marie-Eve Nault (Trois-Rivieres, Quebec), has limited opponents to just over one goal per match. In between the pipes, senior goalkeeper Ellen Dean (Memphis, Tenn.) looks to continue her steady play. The netminder ranks fifth in the league with a 1.08 goals against average and has a save percentage of .765 with 65 saves in a school-record 1,668 minutes
Georgia's offensive production is paced by sophomore forward/midfielder Tricia McKee's 24 points on 11 goals and two assists. In conference play, she had 10 points on four goals and a couple of assists, including her club's goal last week. Junior Ashley King has 19 points on seven goals and five assists, while rookie midfielder Geneil Newbern has burst on to the scene with 17 points on six goals and five assists. Senior Beth Culver (2G, 3A, 7 pts.), junior Andrea Velasco (three goals) and Elizabeth Metherell (six assists) are also found on the Dawgs' scoring ledger.
Sophomore keeper Ashley Lindley has started all 19 matches for the Red and Black, covering 1,789 minutes. She has made 104 saves and yielded 31 goals for a save percentage of .768 and a GAA of 1.56. She has pitched shutouts against Georgia State, No. 9 Michigan, Georgia Southern, No. 22 Duke and Vanderbilt.
The Orange and White will be making its sixth SEC Tourney appearance in the seven years of its program. The Lady Vols have earned a berth to the events held in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. However, the Knoxville clan will be looking to snap a winless drought, as it has been defeated all five times at the event in its initial match. Tennessee was held scoreless in its first four contests at SECs before midfielder Sue Flamini tallied a pair of goals in her team's 4-2 loss to Kentucky on Nov. 8, 2001, in Baton Rouge, La.
Prior to its last three contests at the SEC event, UT had defeated its opponent in the regular season, only to be ousted in the postseason by that same foe. In 1999, the Lady Vols stopped Ole Miss in overtime, 2-1, and then the Rebels earned a 1-0 win in Nashville on Nov. 4, 1999. UT edged Vanderbilt in extra time, 2-1, on Oct. 13, 2000, only to be blanked by the Commodores at SECs on Nov. 2, 2000, 2-0. Last season, the Orange had outlasted Kentucky in double overtime, 1-0, on Oct. 14, before the 4-2 setback to the 'Cats on Nov. 8.
