Alabama Soccer Draws with Tennessee in Preseason Exhibition
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— For Alabama soccer, the upcoming 2023 season represents something of a proving-ground situation. Last season, the Crimson Tide turned the college soccer world on its head with an incredible run all the way to the College Cup. In its return to fall action, No. 7 Alabama drew with Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee 2-2 on Tuesday evening.
There were flashes of what made last season's 23-win, SEC-regular season champion team special, with early control of both possession and territory, as well as the Crimson Tide scoring the first two goals of the matchup. From there, however, Alabama's patented unrelenting offense was held stagnant as the Lady Volunteers, who the Crimson Tide will not face during the 2023 regular season, took hold of the match's pace. Tennessee notched a pair of scores, both with fewer than 15 minutes left in the contest, to ultimately secure the draw.
"I thought it was exactly the game we needed," head coach Wes Hart said. "We needed to be tested, and Tennessee tested us. I thought they were excellent tonight. I thought our start was fantastic. The first 10, 12, 15 minutes, I thought we were quite good."
Hart felt his team had a good learning experience on the pitch, especially considering that the Crimson Tide was playing its first minutes 11-on-11.
"If we played an opponent that didn't get any shots off, or didn't pressure us, then I don't know what we would have learned or what we would've taken from the game," he said. "For me, I'm happy with the opponent we played. I love the fact that they put us under pressure.
"We learn from it, and we move on."
Freshman Cameron Silva got the 2023 scoring started in the 34th minute with a nice header off of a Tennessee defensive miscue. That was the only time the ball found the back of the net for either side in the first half, blanketed with a beautiful sunset as it made the trip.
In the 51st minute, Marianna Annest drew a foul in the box, and star midfielder Felicia Knox, the reigning NCAA assists leader, put the penalty kick behind Lady Vols keeper Abigail Reisz. The Alabama keepers, who have some of the biggest shoes to fill on the roster in succession of fan-favorite McKinley Crone, were solid. Debuting freshman Coralie Lallier had three saves to lead both teams despite giving up the two goals. The Alabama defense was as strong as ever despite having to go without two-way playmaker Reyna Reyes, who now plays for the NWSL's Portland Thorns.
Defender Brooke Steere said the team's passion was present despite the tough early test.
"We're excited to get back out and play our own game and not just be reliant on what happened last year," Steere said. "SEC is a different type of play. Getting out there and having your first game be SEC, you can't really compare to it. It's more physical, it's more attacking than most conferences are, so having that first game under our belt and knowing that we can pass the test of being physical with them is really important for us."
Steere and her flashy new cleats were great on defense, often helping anchor the back line when the Lady Vols threatened. She also thought the defense adjusted well to Tennessee's substitutions and speed for the most part.
"Our whole back line and everyone dropping and stepping together is really important, and I think we started to do that. Obviously [we] had some lulls here and there that we've gotta fix, and tweak, and change, and that's kind of what this game is for," she said.
Regular season action is right around the corner. The Crimson Tide will put its home unbeaten streak of 20 games up for real when DePaul comes to town on Aug. 17. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
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