Tennessee soccer defeated Georgia on Thursday, 2-0, at Regal Stadium behind another shutout performance from Cayden Norris in the net.
The Lady Vols now own a 10-1-1 season record. Tennessee is exhibiting its confidence as it moves closer toward the end of the regular season. The Lady Vols also continued their undefeated winning streak for home games in Regal Stadium, as well as a current 4-1-0 record in SEC play.
“Their perseverance, their belief in one another, their trust in one another,” head coach Joe Kirt said. “They keep growing.”
Keep up with Cayden
This game featured a very defensive start, with Georgia proving to be a difficult opponent. The Bulldogs were able to put up five shots in the first half alone, but the Tennessee goalkeeper Norris showed off her consistency, keeping a clean sheet and a clear head.
“Cayden, her presence, coming out and making plays when she needs to. She’s done it all year,” Kirt said. “That’s why we’ve been difficult to score on, because of their play. It gives us confidence back there. Her organization, her presence, it just allows everybody else to be calm in front of her and just make plays.”
Stayart-Klurman connection
Jenna Stayart netted the Lady Vols’ first goal in the 22nd minute, with a ball that slid right past the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper, finding its way through the bottom left corner of the goal. This marked Stayart’s fourth goal of the season and seventh of her career. The shot was assisted by Leah Klurman, who also recently scored in Tennessee’s previous game against Texas A&M.
“Every time I lock eyes with Leah, I know she can play a ball on a dime,” Stayart said. “So, just like she’s done before, I saw her look at me, so I just started running, and the ball landed literally right in front of me, and I just kept running and got it in the net.”
Also in the first half were multiple close goals, including one from sophomore Skylar Miller, just hitting the right bar after skating past the goalie.
Second-half hustle
Into the second half, the action continued with Tennessee’s offense staying aggressive, going neck-and-neck with its conference opponent. The Lady Vols were able to add their final goal in the 79th minute from Ally Brown, with a header into the right corner — her second of the season.
“I feel like we’ve been trying to focus game-by-game, so this game is obviously a big one,” Brown said. “I think it was a big team win, we all played together.”
Proof in the progress
The further the Lady Vols move through their season, their chemistry seems to be prominent. What’s been shown is how important each win is to the team and how they make progress at a steady pace, doing so as one.
“Great team win, from back to front. Had a lot of players contribute tonight at a really high level. So, proud of the group overall,” Kirt said.
Tennessee returns to the field in Oxford, Mississippi, against Ole Miss to face the Rebels on Oct. 5, looking to keep a win streak of what is currently six games.
