Armed with hats and gloves to protect themselves from the chilling night

air, 1,165 faithful fans watched as the University of Tennessee Lady Vol

Soccer team battled the No. 10-ranked Florida Gators on Friday night.

The frigid weather could not keep the dedicated droves away from the soccer

complex as they cheered the women through a disappointing first half and an

impressive second. Tennessee lost 4-0.

“It was a good game, but Florida is a quality team. They came out strong

from the first minute of play,” said Heather Redecker, Lady Vol defender.

The Gators set the pace, scoring their first goal just 29 seconds into the

match. Unable to defend against the attacking forwards, the Vols fell to a

4-0 deficit by the end of the first half. Although unsuccessful in their

attempt to put the ball in the net, the Lady Vols succeeded in shutting

down Florida’s offense, holding the Gators to their four-point lead. The

Gators did not score at all in the second half.

“The game really put things in perspective for us. Now we realize what we

need to work on,” said sophomore midfielder Whitney Rayburn, keeping a

positive outlook.

Friday’s contest was the first of a much-awaited series of home games as

the Lady Vols spent the first half of their season on the road. They were

met with a record-setting attendance who endured the cold to show their

support.

Putting behind Friday’s loss, the Lady Vols went on to win a pivotal match

against SEC rival South Carolina on Sunday, beating the Gamecocks 1-0.

Finally thawed from Friday night, the fans sat on edge as the game went

scoreless for the first 44 minutes of play. The emotional, game-winning

goal was the result of a South Carolina hand-ball in the box. Freshman

Kelly Berrall took the penalty shot as the fans held their breath and her

teammates watched anxiously. Sneaking the ball past the goalkeeper, Berrall

found the back of the net and put UT ahead.

The outcome of the game could have gone either way, as the teams fired 17

shots a piece and equally controlled the field. Fortunately, Berrall was

able to put one of those shots in the goal, keeping the Lady Vols alive as

they strive to make the SEC tournament.

Protecting the net for Tennessee was sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Shivley,

who made seven saves and recorded her first solo shutout of the season.

Sunday’s win knocked the Gamecocks out of the running and increased the

Lady Vols’ record to 8-7 overall and 2-4 in the SEC.

Assistant coach Angie Kelly was pleased with the win and extremely proud of

her team’s effort.

“The girls played with their hearts and poured it all out on the field,”

she said. “They expended all of their emotional energy, and it really paid

off.”

Coming off Sunday’s big win, the Lady Vols look to defeat the Radford team,

whose impressive record of 12-2 promises to challenge Tennessee. The game

will be held at the soccer complex at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The team, who must

continue to win in order to compete in postseason play, needs to use that

same emotional energy they triumphantly displayed on Sunday. The Lady Vols

look to their faithful fans to once again endure the fast-approaching

winter and support their attempt at another Big Orange victory.