Thomas' Hat Trick Leads Vols Past Runnin' Bulldogs, 6-0

Sunday, February 14

Knoxville, TN

4:00 PM

University of Tennessee

5-4-1, 4-3-1

Gardner-Webb

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Gardner-Webb

Tennessee

Photo by: Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

Thomas' Hat Trick Leads Vols Past Runnin' Bulldogs, 6-0

February 14, 2021 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee redshirt freshman Jaida Thomas paced the Vols with a hat trick on Sunday as Tennessee earned a dominant 6-0 victory over the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs at Regal Soccer Stadium. UT lit up the scoreboard with six goals in the first half and coasted to a win in its 2021 spring opener.

Thomas doubled her season's tally with Sunday's performance, becoming the first to score three goals in a match for Tennessee since Bunny Shaw at Kentucky on September 28, 2018. Junior midfielder Abbey Burdette, redshirt-freshman defender Giselle Washington and junior forward Mackenzie George also accounted for scores in the win over Gardner-Webb (0-1-0).

UT's six goals in the opening frame were its most in a half since also netting six goals in the second half of an 8-0 win over Belmont on September 13, 2015. Tennessee (5-4-1) also matched its highest scoring output since a 6-4 victory over Ole Miss on October 5, 2017.

"Obviously, it's always fantastic to get a win," head coach Brian Pensky said after the match. "Six goals on our first nine shots, we will obviously take that. Very happy for our front three [Jaida Thomas, Mackenzie George and Abbey Burdette] and for [Giselle Washington] getting her first career goal.

"Just proud of our kids tonight. That was the first time we've played 11-on-11 since our Vanderbilt game in the SEC Tournament. That's always challenging, and I thought our kids did a good job and handled it professionally."

It only took 75 seconds for the Vols to get on the score sheet as Burdette loaded up from 25 yards into the upper right corner. Key passes from Isabella Cook and Hannah Tillett in the midfield set up the score, as both were credited with assists on the play.

After playing the past two and a half seasons at outside back, Burdette has moved into an attacking role for UT's 2021 spring campaign. Her score on Sunday went down as her second-career goal and her first-career game-winner for the Big Orange.

"It's definitely new [to play an attacking position], but I was just happy to be able to do it for my team," Burdette said. "I played that my whole life before college, and Brian [Pensky] came up to me in the beginning of the spring and was like 'we're taking it old school.' I was excited, because obviously scoring goals is fun, but I was really just happy to help my team and add another goal into the other five."

Thomas scored a pair of goals in quick succession to give UT a comfortable 3-0 edge 12 minutes in. Her first tally of the afternoon was headed in off a failed Gardner-Webb clearance, and 46 seconds of game time later, she found the end of a George cross and put it past the keeper to record her first career multi-goal performance.

14 minutes later, Thomas made it a hat trick with a right-footed strike from the penalty spot into the lower left corner. Sophomore defender Tara Katz assisted the score as she found Thomas inside the 18-yard box on a long service from the midfield.

"Practice makes perfect, and I was able to be in the right spots tonight because of what we've done in practice," Thomas said. "Rewards are with forwards, you know? We know our role, and we know what we need to do, where we need to be placed in order to get behind those crossed balls."

Washington, who was making her third start of the season on Tennessee's back line, found the back of the net for the first time in her collegiate career on Sunday. The Brookhaven, Georgia, native positioned herself on the end of Tillett's free kick and won a header into the lower right corner to give UT a 5-0 lead in the 27th minute.

George added the Vols' sixth tally in the 40th minute from point-blank range after a struggle inside the six-yard box, cementing the match's final score. It was her third goal in her last two appearances, as the Lincoln, California, native had a brace against Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals.

With the win, sophomore keeper Lindsey Romig logged her third solo shutout of the season while hauling in six saves. Center backs Mackenzie Ostrom and Washington played all 90 minutes to help UT secure the clean sheet.

Three Tennessee freshmen made their collegiate debuts on Sunday as Louisa Essuman, Carlyn Presley and Caitlin Foley subbed on in the 33rd minute. Essuman is notably the first Tennessee student-athlete of any sport from Ghana, as the Cape Coast native logged 39 minutes and a shot attempt on Sunday.

UP NEXT: The Vols will head on an eastward road trip next weekend to visit the Appalachian State Mountaineers. The match is scheduled for a noon kickoff at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex in Boone, North Carolina.

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