Indiana women’s soccer will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee on Thursday to take on the University of Tennessee at Regal Soccer Stadium for a non-conference matchup. Thursday’s match will be the second consecutive road game for the Hoosiers who are coming off a 1-0 victory against the University of Evansville on Sunday. Tennessee is coming off their first loss of the season, falling to Southern Methodist University by a score of 2-1.
The Hoosiers are coming off another stellar defensive performance Sunday, tallying their third consecutive clean sheet. Indiana dominated possession for the majority of the match, outshooting Evansville 22-4.
The Lady Volunteers lost a heartbreaker Sunday, conceding a match-winning goal in the 84th minute and were not able to equalize. Tennessee outshot the Mustangs 15-8 but were unable to convert any opportunities.
Tennessee finished last season with a record of 11-6-2 and finished first in the SEC East Division and third overall in the conference. A player to watch for the Lady Volunteers is sophomore forward Kameron Simmonds. Simmonds has scored four goals in as many games this season, leading the team in goals scored. Another key player for Tennessee is senior defender Renie Lawson, who leads the team in minutes played and is the leader of the defense.
Sophomore forward Marisa Grzesiak was aggressive for the Hoosiers in the 1-0 victory over Evansville, tallying three shots on goal and scoring the lone goal of the game. The Hoosiers have emphasized being aggressive and taking more shots this season as they struggled to find the back of the net frequently last season. Head coach Erwin Van Bennekom mentioned after last Thursday’s match against Morehead State University that he encourages his team to not be shy on offense and create opportunities.
Thursday’s match is shaping up to be the tale of two identities. Tennessee has scored in bunches, averaging nearly three goals a game this season while Indiana has allowed one goal in its first four matches. The two schools haven’t squared off since 2008 and will both look to establish their game plans early. The Hoosiers look to remain undefeated and tally their fourth win of the season while the Lady Volunteers look to get back in the win column.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Regal Soccer Stadium. The match will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
