University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
ETSU
Tennessee Storms Past ETSU, 3-0
September 21, 2014 | Soccer
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Amy Neal scored in the 15th minute, Gabby Santorio scored in the 36th minute, Susan Ferguson scored in the 77th minute and the Tennessee defense contained the nation's top-ranked offense on Sunday in a 3-0 win over ETSU at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
With the win, Tennessee (5-4-0) snaps ETSU's (8-2-0) six-game home winning streak. UT enjoyed an 18-11 shot advantage on the night.
Tennessee goalkeeper Jamie Simmons (5-4-0) made four saves on the night and posted her fourth shutout of the season. ETSU's offense was averaging 4.38 goals per game entering Sunday's contest - the best scoring offense in the nation.
In the 15th minute, Kiah Allen played a free kick from the right corner. Her ball into the box was deflected out to Carlyn Baldwin at the top of the 18 and Baldwin sent a soft pass into the six-yard box to find Neal. Neal put the ball into the right side of the net for her third goal of the season and the fifth of her career.
UT had several good looks in the ETSU box in the first half. Susan Ferguson had a shot from outside the box hit the crossbar in the sixth minute. In the 18th minute, Hannah Wilkinson beat the defense on the left side and Neal had a shot go wide right on a 1v1 with the goalkeeper.
On a corner kick in the 36th minute, Neal sent a shot off the right post and Santorio headed it in off the rebound to push Tennessee's lead to 2-0. The goal was Santorio's first of the season and her first goal since scoring in the 59th minute at Mississippi State on Sept. 23, 2012.
With five seconds remaining in the first half, ETSU made a run into the left side of the Tennessee box and a deep cross sent in was cleared off the back line by Allie Sirna to defend UT's 2-0 lead heading into the break.
At halftime, UT had an 11-3 shot advantage and a 2-1 edge on corner kicks.
On an ETSU corner kick the 62nd minute, ETSU's Molly Collinson ripped a shot from the middle of the box that Simmons punched away with leap to her right. Simmons came up big again with a diving save in the 68th minute to turn away a rocketed shot to the left side by Hannah Short.
Ferguson scored her first goal of the season in the 77th minute after Cheyenne Spade played a nice ball into the right side of the box and Ferguson kicked it into the right side off of Elliott's fingertips. The goal was the second goal of Ferguson's career and the first time she found the back of the net since she scored in the 38th minute of 2-0 win at Kennesaw State on Aug. 31, 2012.
Tennessee will host two SEC home matches next weekend at Regal Soccer Stadium. UT plays Alabama on Friday at 7 p.m. and Mississippi State on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will feature online broadcasts on SEC Network + with Brian Rice and Tori Beeler Watson in the booth and Dani Klupenger reporting from the sideline.
