Alabama Athletics
Alabama Soccer Opens Athletic Calendar with Shutout Win
It didn't take Alabama soccer long to get things rolling in 2022.
Less than one minute into the season-opening match at Florida Atlantic, Riley Mattingly Parker redirected a corner kick from Felicia Knox into the back of the net.
After a rain delay postponed the game after the sixth minute until Friday monring, Alabama went on to win 4-0 to start the season with a shutout win.
"Great performance by our team today," Alabama head coach Wes Hart said in a press release. "We were able to play a lot of players, which definitely contributed to our success. There's not a question that the quality of our depth was important today and will continue to be important this season."
Once play resumed Friday, the Crimson Tide tacked on three more goals, one each from Northwestern transfer Marianna Annest, Kate Henderson and Riley Tanner. Annest scored her first goal in an Alabama uniform right before the end of the first half to extend the lead to 2-0. Alabama came out early in the second half with the goal from Henderson, and Tanner scored in the 62nd minute for the fourth and final goal.
Because Alabama was able to build such a lead, 20 different athletes saw playing time in the win.
“I was very pleased with our play on both sides of the ball," Hart said. "We are able to attack in a variety of ways. We created chances and scored goals. I thought we had some good spells of sustained possession and territory throughout.”
The Crimson Tide will stay down in south Florida for one more game at Miami on Sunday at 4 p.m. on ACC Network before returning to Tuscaloosa for the home opener against Southern Miss Thursday at 6 p.m.
