Tennessee secured a 1-0 victory over the Missouri Tigers on Friday night at Regal Stadium. The Lady Vols remain undefeated in conference action (7-1-3, 2-0-2 SEC) as they add another conference victory to their résumé. Meanwhile, the Tigers (3-7-2, 1-3-1 SEC) continue their lackluster season, picking up their third conference loss.
The single goal of the game came from a familiar name: Jaida Thomas.
Thomas, the sixth-year senior, lifted the Lady Vols to victory in her first start of the 2024 campaign. This was a crucial game for Tennessee after they had tied in their previous two matches. Thomas’ 12th career game-winning shot not only secured the win but also pushed her closer to a program record.
The game began on a passive note. Tennessee possessed the ball well and played conservatively, trying not to give Missouri a chance to capitalize off a mistake. The Tigers stayed aggressive, applying pressure to the ball handlers on defense and attempting a pair of shots on offense before the Lady Vols could attack.
Despite the early success of the Tigers, it was short-lived. Thomas made her mark in the 20th minute, driving the ball into the net from in front of Missouri’s goal.
“I knew it was a great service, and my job is just to distract the keeper and get second balls,” Thomas said. “That’s exactly what I did.”
This goal was a milestone for Thomas. Not only was this her first goal since her ACL tear in September of last year, but now she is one of the two Lady Vols to score 40 or more goals. She needs just three more goals this season to tie Kylee Rossi’s program record of 43.
“The timing was perfect, and it’s been a hard year,” Thomas said about her first goal back. “It just means a lot.”
This setback was anything but easy. It was the third ACL tear of her career after she tore it twice in high school. In August, she estimated that her knee felt about 80% of what it normally felt like. Over the last two months, Thomas has made significant strides toward a complete recovery.
“I feel like 100% as far as my knee,” Thomas said. “I’m still getting back in shape now.”
Thomas played 62 minutes in the match and primarily rotated with sophomore Kate Runyon. Despite not being fully in shape, Tennessee’s head coach, Joe Kirt, liked what he saw.
“She’s been coming into her own, and I just thought it would be a good idea to give her a shot to start,” Kirt said. “She came up with a great goal to get us a 1-0 lead.”
For Thomas, the journey back may still be in the works, but Friday was a strong indication of things to come. As Tennessee rounds out its regular season schedule, all eyes are on the striker who says she isn’t paying attention to records.
