Soccer Central: at Alabama

Saturday, September 19

Tuscaloosa, AL

2:00 PM

University of Tennessee

Alabama

KNOXVILLE, TN - 2019.09.05 - Tennessee vs. Southeastern Louisiana

September 18, 2020 | Soccer

Watch (SEC Network)Live Stats 2020 Soccer Quick Facts

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee soccer team will kick off the Tennessee Athletics 2020-21 season this weekend, as the Vols open their season at Alabama Saturday afternoon. The match is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET at the Alabama Soccer Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Saturday's contest will be televised on the SEC Network, with an online version of the broadcast available at this link. Live stats will be provided via SIDEARM Stats, while fans can follow @Vol_Soccer on Twitter for live match updates.

NEW NORMAL: On August 27, the Southeastern Conference established new start dates and formats for the 2020 soccer season, as the 14 member schools continue to monitor developments related to COVID-19.

The 2020 SEC soccer season will consist of an eight-match, conference-only regular season over eight weeks of competition beginning September 18. All 14 schools will compete in the SEC Championship tournament, set for November 13-22 in Orange Beach, Alabama.

THE OPENER: Saturday's match against Alabama will mark the first time Tennessee has opened the season against a conference opponent. The Vols are 17-6-1 in season openers, winning 11 of their last 13. UT also owns a 13-10-1 record in SEC openers since the program's inception in 1996.

WATCH OUT: Three members of the Tennessee soccer program were named to the SEC Preseason Watch List on Thursday. Erin Gilroy, Lindsey Romig and Brooke Wilson represented the Vols on the list, which highlights the top players in the conference heading into the 2020 season.

NEW FACES ON ROCKY TOP: UT's 2020 signing class was rated No. 23 in the country and No. 3 in the SEC by TopDrawerSoccer, as the Vols have welcomed seven newcomers to the program this semester.

Junior transfer Brooke Wilson joins UT from Arizona, where she helped lead the Wildcats to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances the past two seasons. The attacking midfielder from Vista, California, tallied six goals and four assists in 2019, ranking third on her team with 16 points.

Defensive midfielder Hannah Tillett comes to Rocky Top after two seasons at MTSU, where she was named First Team All-Conference USA in back-to-back years and was tabbed as the league's Freshman of the Year in 2018. She racked up 18 goals and 13 assists for the Blue Raiders and holds the program's career record with 10 made penalty kicks.

Tennessee also welcomes five freshmen to the squad this year in Maddie Eskin, Caitlin Foley, Sydney Hennessey, Carlyn Presley and Lawson Renie.

2019 SNAPSHOT: Last fall, head coach Brian Pensky guided Tennessee to its fifth-straight winning season with a 9-6-3 record overall. The Vols posted an 8-2 record at Regal Soccer Stadium that included shutout wins over SEC East rivals Florida, Georgia and Kentucky.

INSIDE THE SERIES: Tennessee holds a 13-7-1 all-time series lead over Alabama, including a 10-match unbeaten streak from 1999-2010. The Vols are 6-4-0 in Tuscaloosa.

Last season, the Vols dropped a stunning 2-1 double-overtime loss to the Crimson Tide. UT goalie Lindsey Romig had a season-high eight saves on the afternoon, and Alicia Donley tallied her first career-goal in SEC play for the Big Orange.

SCOUTING ALABAMA: Head coach Wes Hart led Alabama to a 10-7-3 record (4-4-2 SEC) last fall in his fifth season at the helm of Crimson Tide soccer. Alabama earned the seventh seed for the SEC Tournament and reached the conference quarterfinals for only the third time in program history.

Bama was tabbed sixth, one spot above Tennessee, in the 2020 SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Four members of the Crimson Tide were selected to the league's preseason watch list: Brynn Martin, Casey Wertz, Riley Mattingly and Reyna Reyes.

SEASON 25: The 2020 campaign will be the 25th season in Tennessee soccer history. Since 1996, Tennessee has amassed a 287-173-46 overall record with three SEC regular-season championships, four SEC Tournament championships, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, six trips to the NCAA Tournament third round and one trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals.

UP NEXT: The Vols will host in-state rival Vanderbilt on Sunday, September 27 at Regal Soccer Stadium for Tennessee's first home athletics event of the 2020-21 academic year. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m., and the match will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee soccer, follow @Vol_Soccer on Twitter.