Lady Vol soccer team shuts out Crimson Tide

On the same weekend that the UT football team fell to rival Alabama, the Lady Vol soccer team (8-7-3, 4-4-2 SEC) took out the Crimson Tide (6-9-1, 2-6-1 SEC) 2-0 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

With the win over Alabama, the Lady Vols clinched a berth in the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the 12th consecutive year.

Senior forward Mick Imgram scored her SEC-leading 12th goal of the season, moving her into seventh all-time in goals for the Lady Vols with 25. Freshman midfielder Amy Harrison also contributed with a goal.

This year marks UT head coach Angela Kelly’s tenth season on Rocky Top, and the Lady Vols have made it to the NCAA Tournament eight consecutive years under Kelly.

“We got a much-needed victory today when we really needed one,” Kelly said. “We played a disappointing first half, but give credit to Alabama. We created a lot of very dangerous scoring opportunities today. We just have to continue to work on our discipline, focus and attack in front of the goal to put more of those chances away.”

Junior goalkeeper Molly Baird posted her seventh career shutout. Alabama managed 13 shots, but Baird kept the Tide off the scoreboard with six saves.

Imgram has recorded a goal in 10 of the Lady Vols’ 18 matches this season, and the senior has tallied multiple goals against East Tennessee State and Mississippi State.

“I thought we were able to execute better in the second half,” Imgram said. “It was a great team effort today, but we have to continue to improve. It is a day-to-day battle, and I’m proud we were able to come out with a win.”

The Lady Vols have one final match in the SEC regular season against Georgia. The SEC Tournament kicks off Nov. 4, and the Lady Vols return to the tournament as the defending champions from 2008. Despite winning the SEC, UT fell in the first round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Kelly has experienced success in the SEC Tournament, having won the title four times. Kelly said the win over Alabama will give the Lady Vols some much-needed momentum going into the SEC Tournament.

“We have already won four, so qualifying for the tournament is to be expected,” Kelly said. “We need to be at the level where we are a No. 1 seed annually, and we need to consistently win the SEC. We have to improve our discipline, and we don’t take being in this tournament for granted.”

The Lady Vols travel to Athens, Ga., to end the regular season on Friday, against nationally ranked Georgia.

“Our goal is to win the SEC (Tournament) every year, just qualifying is not good enough,” Kelly said. “I look forward to our upcoming games, as the team continues to grow and improve.”