Missouri soccer battled No. 5 Tennessee on Sept. 18, but could not overcome a late first-half surge, falling 2-0 in Columbia.
Tennessee broke through just before halftime in the 44th minute, pelting goalkeeper Kate Phillips with five shots in two minutes. Junior forward Kate Runyon collected the final rebound and tapped in the opener from inside the six-yard box to give the Vols the lead.
Phillips had four saves during the sequence. Combined with an earlier one-handed diving stop to deny a top corner shot in the 34th minute, she finished with seven saves. This surpassed her previous season high of four against Saint Louis.
Runyon struck again in the 56th minute, finishing a long through ball from defender Ally Brown to complete her double. The goal sealed the victory for Tennessee.
Runyon became the fourth player on the Tennessee roster to hit three or more goals this season. Her teammates Shae O’Rourke and Alivia Stott lead the team with five goals apiece, but neither played in this match.
Missouri midfielder Keegan Good went down around the 30th minute and did not return to the field. Good has started all nine games this season and has been a key component of the Tigers’ midfield.
The Vols returned to their winning ways after being upset in their SEC opener by No.12 Mississippi State, who will travel to Columbia to take on the Tigers on Sept. 26.
The Tigers (4-4-1, 1-1 SEC) now turn their attention to Sunday’s road trip to Kentucky, where they will look to end their six-year drought in Lexington and pick up their second SEC win of the season.
Edited by Colin Simmons l [email protected]
Copy edited by Avery Copeland | [email protected]
Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]
