Georgia Falls to No. 10 Tennessee, 3-1

Sunday, October 24

Knoxville, Tenn.

5 p.m.

University of Georgia

11-4-2, 4-3-2

Tennessee

14-2-0, 7-2-0

Georgia

Tennessee

October 24, 2021 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In an important SEC East matchup, the University of Georgia soccer team dropped a 3-1 decision to No. 10 Tennessee Sunday evening before 1,100 spectators at Regal Soccer Stadium.

Despite a game effort, Georgia (11-4-2, 4-3-2 SEC) was unable to overcome Tennessee's (14-2-0, 7-2-0 SEC) 12-1 advantage in corner kicks. Although the Volunteers led in total shots by a 17-11 margin, they only narrowly led the Bulldogs in shots on target, 8-7. Senior midfielder Dani Murguia and freshman forward Danielle Lewin tied for the team lead with three shots, with all three of Murguia's takes on frame. In net, senior goalkeeper Emory Wegener posted five saves.

"It's a tough place to play," said Georgia head coach Billy Lesesne following the match. "They create a lot of corners, and we gave up goals at bad times. I thought Danielle (Lewin) played a nice ball to Tori (Penn), she did a lot of work on her own, and scored to get us back in it. We had a couple of chances from there but didn't finish those. They put the game away late, which is what a good team does. I'm proud of the team and the fight and look forward to wrapping up conference play against Vanderbilt at home. We've bounced back after every loss and our expectation is to do the same and get a little momentum heading down to Orange Beach."

The Volunteers came out firing, forcing Wegener to make two athletic saves in the first 10 minutes of play. With Tennessee controlling much of possession, Georgia was unable to tally a shot until junior forward Mallie McKenzie put one on target in the 18^th minute. The Bulldogs' backline also put up a strong effort against the Volunteers' attack until a sudden shift in the final moments of the half. After a Wegener save, Tennessee quickly set up for a corner that allowed Cariel Ellis to score with only 10 seconds remaining, giving the Vols a 1-0 lead entering the locker room.

In the second half, Tennessee continued to press in Georgia territory, eventually racking up nine corners in the period. The consistent pressure broke through in the 57^th minute as Mackenzie George took a service from Jaida Thomas and niftily found a space in the backline to put it past Wegener for a 2-0 lead.

As the half continued, Georgia looked for a burst of energy and found it in sophomore Tori Penn, who took only 25 seconds on the field to put the Bulldogs on the board. After entering the game, Penn took possession and used a slight leftward move to move the keeper off balance and convert in the top right corner of the net. The Bulldogs looked to utilize the momentum but were only able to post one more shot on goal from Murguia in the 85^th minute. With only two minutes remaining, the Volunteers secured the victory with a goal from Jaida Thomas off the assist from George.

Georgia returns home to close the regular season against Vanderbilt on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Turner Soccer Complex. Admission is free and the match will be streamed on SEC Network+. Currently, the Bulldogs remain in sixth place in the overall SEC standings, just one point ahead of Vanderbilt and Alabama. If Georgia finishes in the top six, it will clinch an SEC Tournament first-round bye for the first time since 2013.

For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.