LADY VOLS ARE NOW THE #2 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY-THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE ⚽️ THREAD

#2,326
#2,326
Lurker said:
IMO, Taylor is a lock to make the national team very soon. She is young but far too talented to be ignored for long. She was outstanding as a freshman and, assuming no change in her approach to life and the sport, she will grow into a team leadership role very naturally and very quickly. I think we are in for some very special years in Lady Vol soccer.
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100% agree, Taylor Huff is a special player and Tennessee is lucky to have her.
 
#2,328
#2,328
Vols have got a new '23 recruit: Kate Runyon, a 5'10" forward out of Broomfield Hills, Colorado and Broomfield Hills Soccer Club. Was previously a Florida commit--the second now to de-commit from the gators and align with Tennessee. I've seen some video of this player and it's impressive. She's athletic, runs/moves well, good ball skills, shoots the ball comfortably (it would appear) with either foot--so much so, in fact, that I'm not sure if she's naturally right- or left-footed. In fact, she's got a overall skill set that seems very similar to Taylor's Huff's--and that's a good thing. Some of the team opponents on her highlight reel do not seem especially good--but that does not subtract from her qualities. Excellent get, as they say.

 
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#2,330
#2,330
I got it slightly wrong: Runyon plays for the Broomfield Soccer Club, not Broomfield Hills. I believe Broomfield is a suburb/town fairly close to Denver.
 
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#2,337
#2,337
Lurker said:
Not turbobol but, it looks like Ms. Sayoc actually enrolled at UT early in January 2021, but then did not appear in any of the Lady Vols' matches during the spring. She transferred to Western Kentucky that summer.
See: WKU Soccer adds pair of transfers to 2021 roster
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Correct: She enrolled early, as I recall, went through winter workouts, and then transferred. I don't know why. My theory is that the coaches perhaps noted something in her physical abilities that might have made it hard for her to getting playing time here, and so had one of those tough talks with her: "We'd love to have you stay, but it might be hard to get on the field with this team, and given your passion for the game, you might want to consider transferring to a school where you can play and take advantage of your talent." I believe she was a TopDrawer top 100 player--not that lists of that type should be taken too seriously. I had seen some video of her--stocky build, good with the ball. Maybe it was felt that her overall athleticism and pace were lacking. She transferred to Western Kentucky, came in as a late sub in one of her first games--and scored the game-winning goal, and the Western Kentucky coach afterward sang her praises.

It's pretty unusual for a player in any sport to transfer that early, as every program has players who arrive as freshman aren't likely to play much but who will typically wait a year or more before leaving. I sympathize with kids who come in as freshmen, excited to begin their college careers, and yet coaches can often tell pretty quickly how much potential to play they have. And if you are a program that usually has a lot of team talent, the bar is raised even higher for incoming players. We've had players transfer in the last two/three years who, IMO, based on what I saw, are /good/ soccer players. But sometimes there are just better players ahead of you, or the fit with the coaches, school, program isn't right for various reasons. We had a player from the Chicago area two/three years ago who really impressed as a freshman--athletic, speedy, got some playing time. Her sister was a two-year starter for UCLA. But after her freshman year here, she left--transferred to San Diego U. My sense--could be wrong--is that she was not a good fit with a southern school. That was disappointing.

We had a men's tennis recruit from Texas last year. He came in early, started working out--and I'm sure he deduced, or was told, that it would be very hard to break into our talented tennis lineup, and like Sayoc, he transferred (to SMU) not long after arriving in Knoxville! And with the portal now, and nobody losing eligibility and you can transfer as often as you like, nobody who wants to play, and thinks they can play, is going to stay where they're not playing for very long.
 
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#2,338
#2,338
Speaking of transfers, Mackenzie George has made a huge impact on this program since coming here after her freshman year at Cal Poly, where she was the Big West Freshman of the Year. George is a tough, physical player with good (but not blazing) speed. Her biggest asset is her strength on the ball: When she is engaged by a defender, she can often beat and get past her mark, usually with just muscle. She can turn with the ball and get forward with it extremely well. Pensky liked to say of her, "She's just a dog"--that being a compliment.

She is a near-genius at getting us corner kicks: Typically she will get around her mark and dribble toward the end line, attempt a cross with the ball--and the defender will block it out behind the end line, and the Vols get a corner. I don't know how many times she's done that in the last three years, but it's a big number. Unfortunately, we've not been good at converting corner kicks--and I dearly hope that is a point of emphasis in this preseason camp. We had lots of games last year in which we had 7-12 corner kicks and didn't score off any of them. It's hard to score off corners--but if you can just convert one corner chance out of, say, 5 or 8, into a goal, you are probably not sweating games late so much.

George was first-team All SEC last year and I think she's led the Vols in assists the last three years (must confirm). She's been so focused on producing centering passes, crosses for teammates that her finishing skills--her ability to scorer herself when given a chance--have suffered. That's been her one weakness as a forward. However, she has improved in that respect and I think we'll see her shoot (rather than just service) more this year. Thomas and Huff will get a lot of defensive attention, and so you want your other attacking players--George, Fusco, Burdette, others)--to be able to put the ball in the net if they are open and have a good chance. This should make us a hard team to defend this year.

One worry about George is that given her physical play in every game--she is perfectly happy to try and push through two defenders at times--you don't want her getting injured or worn out by the end of the season. That might mean asking her to give the ball up a bit more often rather than always wanting to engage in physical combat with opponents!
 
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#2,339
#2,339
turbovol said:
Speaking of transfers, Mackenzie George has made a huge impact on this program since coming here after her freshman year at Cal Poly, where she was the Big West Freshman of the Year. George is a tough, physical player with good (but not blazing) speed. Her biggest asset is her strength on the ball: When she is engaged by a defender, she can often beat and get past her mark, usually with just muscle. She can turn with the ball and get forward with it extremely well. Pensky liked to say of her, "She's just a dog"--that being a compliment.

She is a near-genius at getting us corner kicks: Typically she will get around her mark and dribble toward the end line, attempt a cross with the ball--and the defender will block it out behind the end line, and the Vols get a corner. I don't know how many times she's done that in the last three years, but it's a big number. Unfortunately, we've not been good at converting corner kicks--and I dearly hope that is a point of emphasis in this preseason camp. We had lots of games last year in which we had 7-12 corner kicks and didn't score off any of them. It's hard to score off corners--but if you can just convert one corner chance out of, say, 5 or 8, into a goal, you are probably not sweating games late so much.

George was first-team All SEC last year and I think she's led the Vols in assists the last three years (must confirm). She's been so focused on producing centering passes, crosses for teammates that her finishing skills--her ability to scorer herself when given a chance--have suffered. That's been her one weakness as a forward. However, she has improved in that respect and I think we'll see her shoot (rather than just service) more this year. Thomas and Huff will get a lot of defensive attention, and so you want your other attacking players--George, Fusco, Burdette, others)--to be able to put the ball in the net if they are open and have a good chance. This should make us a hard team to defend this year.

One worry about George is that given her physical play in every game--she is perfectly happy to try and push through two defenders at times--you don't want her getting injured or worn out by the end of the season. That might mean asking her to give the ball up a bit more often rather than always wanting to engage in physical combat with opponents!
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I’m super excited about this team, it’s gonna be a special season. Ten of the starting 11 from last years team that dominated Arkansas in the SEC championship match are returning and you have to think they will only be better.
 
#2,341
#2,341
Dipasupil was a starting left-side midfielder for us in our four-player midfield for most if not all of the year, and shared playing time with Hannah Zaluski, who, like Dipasupil, is left-footed. Dipasupil's is a talented free-kick specialist--that is her chief strength, and she used it to score, as I recall, six goals last year. I think at least 2 maybe 3 came on penalty kicks--she took them for us last year and hit them well. She can hit and target the ball nicely, and she and Zaluski both have a good understanding of the game. (Zaluski scored the game winner for us against Missouri off of, as I recall, an Overtime centering pass from George). That said, we weren't as strong in run of play on the left side of midfield last year as we were on the right, which was patrolled by T. Huff. Dipasupil is decently athletic but not very big and not very pacey, and, candidly, we didn't control the left side of the midfield as we did the right, typically. It's nice to have left-footed players on the left-side of the field--but it need not be a prerequisite. There are a lot of right-footed, left-side players in soccer. There are players on every team, on every level, in every sport that perform quite solidly against average opponents but are, let's say, less solid, when you are playing a really strong opponent; when they have to compete with players who are stronger, faster, more athletic. That is something for the coaches to think about--but meanwhile we've got a savvy veteran with a good foot at this position.
 
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#2,342
#2,342
turbovol said:
Dipasupil was a starting left-side midfielder for us in our four-player midfield for most if not all of the year, and shared playing time with Hannah Zaluski, who, like Dipasupil, is left-footed. Dipasupil's is a talented free-kick specialist--that is her chief strength, and she used it to score, as I recall, six goals last year. I think at least 2 maybe 3 came on penalty kicks--she took them for us last year and hit them well. She can hit and target the ball nicely, and she and Zaluski both have a good understanding of the game. (Zaluski scored the game winner for us against Missouri off of, as I recall, an Overtime centering pass from George). That said, we weren't as strong in run of play on the left side of midfield last year as we were on the right, which was patrolled by T. Huff. Dipasupil is decently athletic but not very big and not very pacey, and, candidly, we didn't control the left side of the midfield as we did the right, typically. It's nice to have left-footed players on the left-side of the field--but it need not be a prerequisite. There are a lot of right-footed, left-side players in soccer. There are players on every team, on every level, in every sport that perform quite solidly against average opponents but are, let's say, less solid, when you are playing a really strong opponent; when they have to compete with players who are stronger, faster, more athletic. That is something for the coaches to think about--but meanwhile we've got a savvy veteran with a good foot at this position.
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Great write up on Claudia Dipasupil.

Here is last years opening match of the season against FGCU, she scored two goals exactly on the type of plays you were discussing.
The other goals were scored by Thomas, Tillet and two by Huff.


 
#2,345
#2,345
Almost nothing online about Ms. Duval except that she's a midfielder from the Eclipse Select Soccer Club, which is a high-profle Chicago-area
ECNL club. TopDrawer has nothing on her but the scant info above. Beyond that, nothing, which is unusual.
 
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#2,346
#2,346
We'd better be ready to go from the get-go this year, what with 5 tough games to start the season.

North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance says in this interview, the first of two parts, that this will be the deepest team he's ever had. That's a scary thought given that UNC is /always/ talented and deep. The Heels like to press opponents, which is something we need to be prepared to deal with, and Dorrance typically brings in a bunch of substitutes--often six--at the 15 or 20 minute mark of the first half--essentially his second unit, and keep pressing. One thing that should help us in the UNC and all other games is that we like to press ourselves--and were quite good at bottling teams up last year. Indeed, in the SEC Tourney semifinal, a pretty good Ole Miss team could hardly get the ball out of its defensive half in the first half. So a good way to deal with a pressing team is to press them, in turn, and we'll see which side is the more effective. Certainly, playing with confidence will be important; you can't play scared or tentative against big opponents or you'll find yourself in trouble early. Arkansas--which had a good, veteran team last year--played both Duke and UNC last season and played quite well, losing each game by a goal.

2022 Women's Soccer Preview With Anson Dorrance: Part I - University of North Carolina Athletics
 
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#2,347
#2,347
turbovol said:
We'd better be ready to go from the get-go this year, what with 5 tough games to start the season.

North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance says in this interview, the first of two parts, that this will be the deepest team he's ever had. That's a scary thought given that UNC is /always/ talented and deep. The Heels like to press opponents, which is something we need to be prepared to deal with, and Dorrance typically brings in a bunch of substitutes--often six--at the 15 or 20 minute mark of the first half--essentially his second unit, and keep pressing. One thing that should help us in the UNC and all other games is that we like to press ourselves--and were quite good at bottling teams up last year. Indeed, in the SEC Tourney semifinal, a pretty good Ole Miss team could hardly get the ball out of its defensive half in the first half. So a good way to deal with a pressing team is to press them, in turn, and we'll see which side is the more effective. Certainly, playing with confidence will be important; you can't play scared or tentative against big opponents or you'll find yourself in trouble early. Arkansas--which had a good, veteran team last year--played both Duke and UNC last season and played quite well, losing each game by a goal.

2022 Women's Soccer Preview With Anson Dorrance: Part I - University of North Carolina Athletics
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Wow, hearing him say it’s his deepest team is crazy with all those talented teams. Gonna be a great test for Tennessee.
I don’t understand the substitution rule in college, it’s completely different than in the pros.
 
#2,348
#2,348
I found some highlights of Duval's 2019/2020 season with Eclipse Select. It was all shot from distance, but I was impressed--very good with the ball at her feet--strong ball skills, and has both quickness and speed. Made some deft passes and showed an ability to score. Looks a talent. It's still odd that TopDrawer has virtually nothing on her.
 
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#2,349
#2,349
mad4vols said:
Wow, hearing him say it’s his deepest team is crazy with all those talented teams. Gonna be a great test for Tennessee.
I don’t understand the substitution rule in college, it’s completely different than in the pros.
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I believe you get 11 total substitutes in a NCAA soccer game. If you get taken out in the first half, there is no re-entry in that half. But you can start the second half, get taken out in the 2nd half and then be reinserted into the game if the coach desires. So no reentry in the first half, but reentry is allowed in the second.

There were a few rules-change proposals this past off-season, and one of them was to eliminate the 2nd half reentry--but I believe that proposal was voted down. I'll have to confirm--but I think the 2nd half reentry is still allowed and in place.

You may know this, but one big change this year in NCAA soccer is that Overtime has been eliminated. It used to be that if teams were tied at the end of regulation, you'd play two 10-minute OT periods--if needed--and if either team scored the game automatically ended. Now there is no OT--except in conference and the NCAA tournaments. The change was made for player safety---the idea being that if you're playing an additional 20 minutes, there is an additional risk of injury. I'm not sure the rules committee had any firm data to prove that eliminating OT would reduce player injuries--but logically, the more running/competing one does, the greater the risk of injury. Without OT there will certainly be more regular-season ties, so if you're the better team, you've got only the 90 minutes to prove it now, not 110.

Pro soccer has moved from 3 subs per game--NO reentry at all--to 5. The shift to 5 was started as a temporary thing during the pandemic--but I'm pretty sure that is now being written into the permanent rules and will become permanent. It was 3 for decades, I think, but I never understand why substitutions in soccer would be so limited, and so I'm happy to see the limit raised to 5. Most teams have a lot of good players on the bench, so why not give more of them a chance to play--and this change would also seem to reduce the risk of injury a bit.
 
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