ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – For the second time in as many years, the Tennessee soccer team took Florida into an overtime battle in the SEC championship game.
And for the second straight year, the Lady Vols emerged as champions of the conference.
The Gators, long considered the elite of the conference, went down to the Lady Vols Sunday in a round of sudden-death penalty kicks following a regulation, two overtime periods and a regular penalty kick period that failed to yield a winner.
Tennessee (15-4-2) adds the tournament championship to the overall regular season and Eastern Division titles it achieved this season.
“We have the triple crown of championships,” assistant coach Samantha Baggett said. “With two regular season championships and this one, we are finally showing people that we deserve to be here.”
Ultimately, the title was decided with two kicks. Lady Vol freshman forward Jenny Jeffers, who gained a spot in the starting lineup for the first time Sunday, knocked in Tennessee’s seventh penalty kick in the overtimes. Florida’s kick off the foot of sophomore Katie Johnston never made it fully to Lady Vol sophomore Vanessa Phillips-Bosshart, instead clanging off the crossbar and out of play.
Regulation played out like a battle between the two teams at the forefront of SEC soccer. Florida, which had won seven tournament titles in a row heading into last season, fought to regain its dominance of the league.
With 32:10 remaining in the action, junior forward Lyndsey Patterson landed the Lady Vols on the scoreboard. A corner kick off the foot of Ali Christoph was headed further into play by junior All-American defender Keeley Dowling before Patterson knocked in the goal from the left side.
At the 15:12 mark, Gator senior Dena Floyd converted a penalty kick after Lady Vol freshman Melissa Amado knocked down a Gator inside the goal. The goal knotted up the score at one, where it would remain through the remainder of the contest.
The first 10-minute overtime period passed without a score.
In the second OT, Gator Christine Johnson laid a vicious hit on Dowling, without any apparent intention to hit the ball, which had already been headed out of play. The Gator earned a yellow card on the play and Dowling returned to the field.
“I don’t remember anything about the play except that lying down and looking up at the trainer and (head coach) Ange (Kelly),” Dowling said. “All I remember was taking a hard hit to the ribs.”
The second overtime again ended without a resolution.
Per SEC rules, the game was officially recorded as a tie. The contest then went to penalty kicks to determine an outright champion.
The first round of penalty kicks, a best-of-five series, didn’t decide the finish either. Each team landed all five kicks safely, sending the game into another round of PKs.
In the second round, which has a sudden-death format, senior forward Rhian Wilkinson landed the first kick for Tennessee. An apparent save by Phillips-Bosshart on Florida’s kick was declared void and rekicked for a good goal.
Then Jeffers stepped to the line and landed a shot past the goalkeeper that would be the deciding goal, as the Lady Vols won the title 7-6 on penalty kicks.
The pressure of a title game on her shoulders was enough to make Jeffers more than a little nervous.
“During the penalty kicks, I was scared to death walking up to the ball,” Jeffers said. “But I felt comfortable preparing to kick. I just wanted to find the back of the net.”
Though less than thrilled with the overtime format, Kelly was pleased to come away with the title for the second consecutive year.
“This was a tough test for us today to compete against a very explosive Florida team,” Kelly said. “I thought we played exceptionally well and executed our game plan to a tee. Although I wish we could have won in regulation, we are pleased to be heading back to Knoxville as SEC Champions again.
“We will now begin to focus our attention on the NCAA tournament.”
Dowling, Patterson, Wilkinson and junior Sue Flamini were named as members of the All-Tournament team.
