The crowd may not have been as big as it was last time the Tar Heels came to town. But after fighting to a scoreless draw with top-ranked North Carolina Friday night, it was clear that Tennessee’s soccer team has taken its program to new heights.
The tie, after two fruitless 10-minute sudden-death overtime periods, ended UNC’s winning streak at 31 victories. The last game that the Tar Heels did not win came on Dec. 6, 2002, with a 2-1 loss to Santa Clara, that year’s eventual national champion.
The game also marked the first time since an Oct. 27, 2002, tie with Duke that an opponent held North Carolina scoreless.
“This team did everything I asked of them and more tonight,” UT coach Angela Kelly said. “It is the first time in my experience as head coach that every single person who stepped onto the field put every ounce of their fiber into the game.
“For that, I am extremely proud.”
The Lady Vols – dominated in past games against the Tar Heels – showed no signs of being intimidated by UNC from the start of Friday’s game.
Tennessee’s defense turned back North Carolina shots while, offensively, good opportunities to score presented themselves.
Playing without regard for their opponent’s lofty legacy was part of the game plan for Tennessee.
“I respect North Carolina and all of its players,” freshman defender Erica Griffin said. “But coach told us that the way to show a team that you respect them is by taking it to them and not going easy on anyone.
“You have to go hard against them. We just played against them like we would have against anyone else.”
After two halves without a score, the game went into sudden-death overtime periods. The first passed without much action.
But 1:10 into the second overtime, Tennessee nearly pulled off a monumental victory. On a corner kick, senior defender Keeley Dowling headed a ball into play that was rebounded with a header by sophomore Kristen Doukakis.
Doukakis’ shot appeared to elude the goalkeeper and cross the plane of the goal line, which would have secured the game-winning goal for UT. But UNC junior Lindsay Tarpley scooped the ball out of the net and the referee never signaled a goal scored.
“I thought it was a questionable call,” Kelly said. “The ball looked as if it went over the line.
“But the referee’s call obviously stands.”
The game would close without any resolution, but still with implications for both programs.
For UNC, it broke the Tar Heel streak at 31. For Tennessee, the tie showed the team that anything is possible.
“Tonight, we played together and showed that we deserve to be considered among the best,” Griffin said. “We can play against the No.1 team.
“We can make it to the Final Four. We can make it to the final. We can compete with the top team in the nation if we play hard. When we play together and not as individuals, we can do anything we set out to.”
Kelly now wants her team to savor the moment, but move on to the next game.
“September is a period of time where we develop and improve,” Kelly said. “We gained a ton of experience tonight.
“We learned how champions play.”
Lady Vols beat USC: Tennessee scored early and held on for a 2-1 win over Southern Cal on Sunday. Keeley Dowling and Ali Christoph scored first-half goals for the Lady Vols.
USC’s late second-half goal was the first surrendered by Tennessee in over 325 minutes of play.
Kayla Lockaby was named offensive MVP of the Lady Vol Classic, and Dowling took defensive MVP honors. Tennessee members of the all-tournament team included Christoph, Erica Griffin, and goalkeeper Vanessa Phillips-Bosshart.
