Lady Vols Down Mississippi State 4-0

Sunday, October 21

Knoxville, TN

University of Tennessee

11-2-2 (6-1-1SEC)

Mississippi State

6-9-1 (2-5-1SEC)

Team	1	2	Final F
MISSISSIPPI STATE	0	0	0
TENNESSEE	1	3	4

October 21, 2007 | Soccer

Box Score

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ??? Behind goals from senior forward Emily Redberg, junior forward Kylee Rossi and freshman midfielder Tanya Emerson, the University of Tennessee women???s soccer team completed a weekend sweep, defeating Mississippi State, 4-0, on Sunday afternoon. The Lady Vols improve to 11-2-2 overall and 6-1-1 in the Southeastern Conference, taking control of the lead in the Eastern Division.

???I was very pleased with the win,??? UT Head Coach Angela Kelly said. ???We scored three goals in the second half and created many more opportunities. So, I was very happy with the result.???

In a match that saw the Orange and White dominate offensively, UT took 31 shots to the Bulldogs??? two. MSU put just one shot on goal, making an easy day for junior goalkeeper Jaimel Johnson, who made just one save, and sophomore keeper Sarah Kitchin, who combined with Johnson to record the team???s eighth shutout of the 2007 campaign.

The Lady Vols first got on the board in the 35th minute, after getting several early chances in the first half. After the UT front line won the ball near the left corner, Rossi crossed it in to Emerson who found the back of the net from six yards out. The goal was Emerson???s fourth of the season and her third in the past four matches.

???The first goal was a world-class goal,??? Kelly said. ???It combined the three forwards and an attacking mid, which is just a sign of having a dynamic frontline. It was done in a limited amount of touches and was a great goal, so I was pleased to see that.???

Tennessee out-shot the Bulldogs 13-1 in the first 45 minutes, forcing MSU keeper Taryn Holland to make three saves in the half. The Lady Vols put four shots on goal in the first hlaf, while holding Mississippi State without a shot on frame.

Following the halftime break, Rossi continued to contribute, adding a second score for UT in the 58th minute. With the ball at her feet in the box, Rossi drew Holland out to dive on the ball, but it slipped out of the keeper???s arms. Rossi snagged the loose ball inside the six yard box, finishing with a shot on the ground into the lower left corner of the net. The goal was Rossi???s team-leading seventh of the year and sixth in SEC play.

The Lady Vols continued to put the pressure on the MSU defense, scoring again just three minutes later. This time, Redberg found the back of the net in the 61st minute after bringing the ball up on the left side.

The senior was just getting started, however, as she converted again in the 67th minute to give Tennessee its final 4-0 lead. The goal came after sophomore midfielder Mick Imgram fed a ball to Redberg on the right side of the box, where she put it past Holland and into the lower left corner again. The goals give Redberg six on the season and 25 in her career, tying her for seventh all-time with Rossi. Imgram???s assist was her team-leading sixth of the season.

With 18 shots ??? six of which were on goal ??? in the second half, the Lady Vols forced the MSU defense to make two saves of their own, while the Bulldogs??? second keeper of the match, Stephanie Dallas earned 21 minutes of playing time and made one save.

Several Lady Vols came into the match off the bench, earning valuable playing time and experience, leading up to the SEC Tournament which will be held Nov. 7-11. Senior forward Hayley Prendergast, freshman midfielder Grace Cuenin and freshman forward Anna Fisher all saw significant time, along with Kitchin, who got her first touches in goal this season.

???For the first time in my coaching career I was able to play everybody on the bench who was able and willing,??? Kelly said. ???That???s a credit to the team and the level of the talent of the players on the bench. We don???t drop in our level of play, which is something we need because I need to be able to rest our legs.???

The blanking is Tennessee???s 81st in program history and improves the team to 8-2-0 all-time against the Bulldogs. The victory, combined with Georgia???s 0-0 tie with Ole Miss, gives the Orange and White sole possession of first place in both the Eastern Division and overall SEC standings with just three matches remaining in the regular season. Georgia and UT will meet in the teams??? final match before the SEC Tournament on Nov. 2 in Athens.

After earning their third weekend sweep of the league season, the Lady Vols will now look ahead to their Thursday night matchup with Alabama. Tennessee will play its fifth road match in the last seven games in Tuscaloosa at 7 p.m. CT on Oct. 25.