University of Tennessee Athletics
SOCCER CENTRAL: Tennessee vs. #12 Florida
October 07, 2015 | Soccer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee women's soccer team will look to build off a 1-0 win over Georgia its last time out as No. 12 Florida visits Regal Soccer Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
Friday night's contest will air live on SEC Network + and will feature Roger Hoover handling play-by-play duties while Tennessee soccer alum Tori Beeler Watson serves as the analyst.
The Volunteers improved to 6-1-5 overall and earned their second victory in conference play last Friday with a 1-0 victory over Georgia. They currently sit in sixth place in the SEC, one spot above Florida (8-3-1, 2-2-1), with a 2-1-2 record and eight points. The Vols entered this week only one point behind Texas A&M and Kentucky, who are tied for fourth place in the conference.
In their victory over the Bulldogs last Friday, the Vols posted their conference-leading ninth shutout of the season, which also ranks tied for fourth in the nation. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Julie Eckel leads the league with eight shutouts and also leads the SEC in goals against average (0.39) and save percentage (.911). The Cordova, Tenn., native needs only one more shutout the break the Tennessee all-time record for career shutouts held by Vanessa Phillips-Bosshart, who recorded 32 from 2002-05.
Junior forward Amy Neal scored the only goal of the game in the win over Georgia and is now tied for the team lead with four goals. She also leads the Vols with two game-winners.
Florida enters Friday's match following a 1-1 tie against Kentucky and is tied for first in the SEC in scoring offense at 2.75 goals per game. The Gators potent offense is due in large part to star forward and two-time All-American, Savannah Jordan. She leads the conference and ranks second in the country with 13 goals this season.
The Big Orange are 8-15-3 all-time against Florida, but are 5-3-1 at home against their SEC rivals. In the last meeting between the two sides, the Vols prevailed over the eighth-ranked Gators in penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals of last year's SEC Tournament.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early as the first 500 fans through the gates will receive a free Tennessee soccer scarf. Friday is also Dollar Night with hot dogs and drinks on sale for just $1 each.
Following Friday's game, the Vols travel to Tuscaloosa to square off against Alabama on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
