By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Currently on a season-long three-match road swing, the Tennessee Tech soccer team will play the middle in its trio of away affairs Sunday evening in Knoxville. The Golden Eagles will square off with the University of Tennessee on Sept. 4, with kickoff from Regal Soccer Stadium scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
The match will be broadcast live on SECN+. Click here to watch. Live stats will also be available. Click here to view.
A look at Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles (1-2-2) are currently in the midst of a three-match unbeaten streak that has featured a 4-1 win over Furman and back-to-back 1-1 draws with WKU and Chattanooga. Tech has showcased an ability to come back late in each of the last two knots with the Lady Toppers and Mocs, scoring in the final 10 minutes in both tilts to erase 1-0 deficits.
In the tie with WKU, Katie Toney provided late-match heroics with her first career goal in the 81st minute to pull the Golden Eagles even. In Thursday's road tangle at UTC, Meredith Nye did the honors thanks to a score off a corner kick in the 86th minute to equalize the contest with the Mocs. Toney and Nye are two of five Golden Eagles with a goal in the early stages of the season, with Chloe Smith, Bailey Taylor and Allison Lee joining the duo.
Smith is the only TTU player with more than one score this year behind two goals. The senior forward also leads the club with six points with two assists as well, including setting up Nye for the equalizer in Thursday's deadlock. Yao Giada Zhou leads the team and the Ohio Valley Conference in assists with three.
Sophomore goalkeeper Maggie Conrad is coming off a career-best seven saves in Thursday's draw with the Mocs. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native if fourth in the OVC in saves and fifth in goals against average.
A look at Tennessee
The Lady Vols (1-2-1) are coming off their first win of 2022 after a 4-0 triumph over Bowling Green Wednesday night in Knoxville for head coach Joe Kirt's first victory as UT head coach. Jaida Thomas netted two goals, while Taylor Huff and Jenna Stayart each secured one score as well. Thomas leads the squad with four goals, and with the pair of net-finders in Thursday's nod, the Dallas, Texas product moved into a tie for third in program history in all-time career goals with 29. Huff and Maria Nelson sit atop the Lady Vol leaderboard with two assists apiece.
UT's early-season slate has featured its fair share of nationally ranked opponents, with the Lady Vols suffering a 3-0 loss to No. 10 North Carolina in the season opener on Aug. 18 and 3-2 defeat to No. 5 Duke on Aug. 25. The club's other result is a 1-1 draw vs. No. 23 SMU on Aug. 21.
The Lady Vols enjoyed a banner season in 2021 with a 20-3 overall record and an 8-2 SEC mark. The squad claimed the SEC Tournament title for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2008 and ended up advancing to the NCAA Round of 16, before the season concluded with a 3-0 loss to Michigan.
Tennessee topped the SEC's Preseason Coaches' Poll to go along with six Lady Vols to the SEC Preseason Watch List. Thomas, Huff, Abby Burdette, Mackenzie Georgie, Lindsey Romig and Lawson Renie were all recognized on the list.
Inside the series
Tech's tangle with Tennessee will mark the second meeting in the all-time series. The Lady Vols carded a 6-0 victory in last year's get-together in Cookeville.
Photo by Jim Dillon