Tennessee soccer ended its three-game losing streak on Thursday night, tying with No. 22 South Carolina, 1-1, in the season finale at Regal Stadium. The Lady Vols (7-4-4, 2-3-3 SEC) pulled even late in the second half to keep their SEC Tournament dreams alive.
Although it was easy to be discouraged in the Lady Vols’ skid over the last three games, they remained resilient and came out strong throughout the game.
“They’re excited to play and can’t wait to get back on this field,” Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt said. “They love being at home, and the performance they put forth today was clearly evident of that. They’re committed, and there’s no doubt in them.”
The Lady Vols strung together a great performance despite being at a deficit for most of the game. Although they led South Carolina (7-1-7, 4-1-3) in corner kicks, shots and possession time, they entered the second half down 1-0.
The score didn’t change until the final 15 minutes of the game.
The breaking point for the Lady Vols came unexpectedly. South Carolina forward Corinna Zullo was given a penalty inside the box, which led to a Tennessee free kick. Mac Midgley stepped up to the spot and lined it into the left side of the goal to tie the game.
“We’ve practiced them a lot,” Midgley said after the game. “I know my spot, so I just took a breath and placed it.”
Midgley’s kick tied the game 1-1 with 13 minutes left in the contest. Tennessee did not attempt a shot for the rest of the night, ending the contest with 19 total shots — its second-highest total in a game this season.
“I felt confident, my teammates gave me before,” Midgley said. “They were like, ‘You got it, you got it,’ so I did feel pretty confident.”
The Lady Vols managed to put 11 of their shots of the night on goal, tied for a season-high. South Carolina goalie Christina Tsaousis was able to save seven of those shots.
“I think we’ve gotten a little bit more consistent over the last two games, and we’ve been dominating teams,” Midgley said. “I think it’s just better shots and creating opportunities for each other.”
Tennessee finished the night dominating South Carolina on the stat sheet. The Gamecocks only took seven shots, four of which were on goal. The Lady Vols won possession by a wide margin, possessing the ball for 65% of the whole game.
Tennessee also took 16 corner kicks compared to South Carolina’s three, which is the most they’ve attempted in a game since 2022.
“I think it speaks to our team’s resilience, resolve, perseverance and commitment to going forward for 90 minutes,” Kirt said. “I’m incredibly proud of them for staying with it, and they did a tremendous job. We dominated a team that’s very good, very organized and hard to break down.”
Tennessee will travel north Sunday afternoon to take on Kentucky in what will be a crucial game for seeding as the SEC Tournament approaches. The Lady Vols will be challenged, but the Wildcats are 0-2-1 in their last three games.
