UT Opens Season With 6-0 Win Over FGCU

Thursday, August 19

Knoxville, TN

7:00 PM

University of Tennessee

1-0-1, 0-0-0

Florida Gulf Coast

0-1-0, 0-0-0

FGCU

Tennessee

August 19, 2021 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

By: Kimberly Hood

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – UT started the season strong, posting a 6-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast at Regal Soccer Stadium on Thursday night.

Freshman Taylor Huff made her collegiate debut in grand fashion, recording two goals and an assist on the evening. Junior Claudia Dipasupil also put a pair in the back of the net and doled out an assist. Freshman Jordan Fusco and redshirt-sophomore Jaida Thomas rounded out the scoring.

Junior Lindsey Romig recorded the shutout in goal, logging five saves for Tennessee (1-0-0).

Louise Lillback had the best looks for the Eagles (0-1-0), placing two shots on goal. The Volunteers out-shot FGCU 27-8 and took 10 corners without giving up any on their end.

Tennessee came out of the gate quickly, with Thomas scoring the first goal of the 2021 season less than two minutes into play with a heel-flick to the far post off a pass by Huff.

Dipasupil added another goal at the 28-minute mark, bending it in off a set piece from outside the box, and the 2-0 score would hold through halftime.

Fusco notched her first goal as a Vol 10 minutes into the second half, scoring on a hustle play after a save was bobbled by the FGCU keeper at the six-yard box.

Huff then scored back-to-back goals, finding the net less than a minute after Fusco with a volley off a cross by senior Mackenzie George. She put the next one in with her head, knocking a Dipasupil cross low and to the right at the 84-minute mark.

Dipasupil closed out the scoring for the Big Orange two minutes later, driving one home from inside the box off an assist by Lindsey Brick.

UP NEXT: Tennessee will host Miami (Ohio) in a Sunday matinee. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be streamed on SECN+.

FRESHMAN FIRSTS: Six UT freshmen made their collegiate debuts against FGCU, with Taylor Huff and Claire Rain each logging their first career starts, and Jordan Fusco, Jenna Chatterton, Emmy Schleifer, and Nolyn Bartholomew also playing their first minutes as Vols. Huff and Fusco each found the back of the net for the first time as collegiate athletes, and Huff recorded her first assist as well.

STARTING STRONG: With the win over the Eagles, UT improves its record in season openers to 18-7-1, including an impressive 12-1-1 mark at home.

DEPTH ON THE BENCH: Tennessee bench players accounted for three of the team's six goals (Dipasupil: 2, Fusco: 1) and two of four assists (Dipasupil, Brick) against FGCU.

MAKING THEM COUNT: Junior Claudia Dipasupil was the picture of efficiency against FGCU, scoring two goals off three shots.