No. 22 Lady Vols Fall To Xavier in Overtime, 4-1

Friday, November 11

Knoxville

6 PM

University of Tennessee

11-6-2, 7-2-1

Xavier

14-3-5, 6-0-4

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Xavier	1	0	1	2	4
Tennessee	1	0	0	0	1

November 11, 2022 | Soccer

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By: Kimberly Hood

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The season came to an end for No. 22 Tennessee on Friday, falling 4-1 in overtime to Xavier at home in the NCAA First Round.

The Lady Vols (11-6-2) conclude the 2022 campaign having amassed 10 shutouts on the season while claiming their third straight SEC East Division Championship.

Redshirt-junior Jaida Thomas was the goal-scorer for UT with senior Tara Katz earning an assist. Redshirt-freshman Ally Zazzara played the full 110 minutes in goal, making three saves.

Ella Rogers, Chloe Netzel, Molly McLaughlin and Sonia Vargas found the net for the Musketeers (14-3-5), who are receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. In goal, Maria Galley made six saves.

"Credit to Xavier on coming in and competing well for 110 minutes, and we wish them the best of luck moving forward in the tournament," said Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt.

"For us today, we had some really good moments, and we created some really good chances. Jaida scored a great goal to get us started. We had some other chances and didn't take them, and that's part of the game. (Xavier) continued to compete and fight… They did a good job of taking their chances, and we didn't score enough today. That was the difference in the game."

George got the first look of the game less than two minutes into play, ripping an open shot from the top of the box that was on frame but easily collected by the Musketeer keeper.

Netzel countered in the 11^th minute, breaking into the 18-yard box and getting off a shot but missing wide left.

The Lady Vols went up 1-0 in the 20^th minute when Katz played a ball to the top of the box where Thomas received it with her back to the goal and turned a defender before volleying it into the far left corner of the net.

Abbey Burdette nearly added a second three and a half minutes later, running onto a loose ball in the box while the XU keeper was on the ground, but the shot missed wide right.

Xavier evened it up with nine minutes to go in the half when Rogers sent a perfectly placed shot into the side net from 10 yards out.

Tennessee had one final chance to take the lead before the break when Taylor Huff got loose and went one-on-one with Galley, but the XU keeper came up with an excellent kick save and the game went into the break tied at one.

The Lady Vols got a great opportunity in the 69^th minute when Huff found Kameron Simmonds breaking into the box and slotted a pass behind the defender, but Galley dove on the shot as it came off Simmonds' foot, and the score remained tied.

Molly McLaughlin countered with a chance for the Musketeers three minutes later, rocketing one off the crossbar that ricocheted down before Zazzara dove on it, and regulation came to a close with the score at 1-1.

Xavier got the go-ahead goal four minutes into the first overtime period when Netzel sent one far post from just inside the box.

Jordan Fusco narrowly missed from 20 yards out in the final minute of the first period, but the ball sailed a few inches high.

In the 101^st minute, Ally Brown ran onto a loose ball in the box and put one on frame, but Galley came up with the diving save.

On the other end, XU extended its lead to two off a perfectly-placed shot from long range by McLaughlin in the 103^rd minute and added a fourth and final goal by Vargas in the closing seconds.