Soccer Kicks Off SEC Road Action at Tennessee, Vanderbilt
9/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama will take to the road for the first time in nearly a month when the team heads back to Tennessee, this time traveling to Knoxville and Nashville. The Tide will face the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m in the first SEC road contest for Alabama in 2014. The Tide will then take on Vanderbilt on Sunday at 7 p.m.
Tennessee owns the all-time series vs. Alabama, 10-4-1. The Volunteers have never fallen to the Tide at home, owning a 6-0-1 all-time record in Knoxville. The two teams last met on Sept. 29, 2013, when UA earned the 4-2 victory in Tuscaloosa.
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series vs. UA, 13-4-4. The Commodores have won nine of 11 contests vs. the Tide in Nashville (9-1-1). The two teams last met on Sept. 27 of last season, with Alabama coming out victorious, 5-2, in Tuscaloosa.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can watch/follow this weekend's matches via the below outlets:
Gametracker: RollTide.com
Watch: SECN+
Brian Rice, Tori Beeler Watson and Dani Klupenger (Friday at Tennessee)
Kevin Ingram and Megan Forester (Sunday at Vanderbilt)
Twitter: @AlabamaSoccer
THE OPENING KICK
• The Crimson Tide has scored 26 goals in nine games this season. Alabama scored a total of 24 goals all of last season. Alabama has tallied at least one goal in all but one game this season. Last year, the Tide was blanked in seven of 18 total contests.
• Nationally, UA ranks 14th in points (77), 15th in scoring offense and 16th in assists (25). In the SEC, Alabama currently leads the league in goals (26), goals per game (2.89) and points. The Tide also ranks second in assists and third in shots (168) for the SEC.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama enters the weekend with a 5-3-1 record on the season. The Crimson Tide fell to then-No. 7-ranked Florida, 2-1, on Friday, Sept. 19 in Tuscaloosa. On Sunday, Sept. 21, UA defeated Alabama State, 8-0, in the Tide's final non-conference match of the 2014 season.
• The Crimson Tide was outshot 20-7 vs. the Gators, but the disparity did not tell an accurate story of the game. It took over 70 minutes to produce the game's first goal, with all three tallies - two by Florida and one by Alabama - coming in a four-minute span.
• Alabama followed Friday's loss with an 8-0 victory over Alabama State on Sunday in its first midday competition and last non-conference game of the season. The Tide outshot Alabama State, 31-7, and only allowed one shot on goal by the Hornets. Alabama also collected eight assists, the fourth-most all-time in program history.
• The Crimson Tide has scored 26 goals in nine games this season. That's a vast improvement from a year ago, when Alabama scored a total of 24 goals for the entire season. Alabama has tallied at least one goal in all but one game this season. Last year, the Tide was blanked in seven of 18 total contests.
• The aggressive offensive attack has produced 168 shots for the Tide compared to just 97 for opponents. The offensive attack is led by seniors Laura Lee Smith (5g, 3a) and Theresa Diederich (4g, 4a). Fellow senior Merel Van Dongen has added nine points, with two goals and a team-leading five assists.
• Alabama has earned four shutouts through nine games this season. Alabama blanked just one opponent for the entire 2013 season.
• The Tide returned nine starters and 12 letterwinners off last season's squad, which includes four seniors from a year ago. However, Alabama will be a young team as 15 members of the squad are either sophomores (5) or freshmen (10).
• Senior Merel Van Dongen returns for her senior season after missing the final 12 games of last year with a knee injury. She injured the knee in mid-September training with the Netherlands Women's National Team. Van Dongen has produced nine points (2g, 5a) this season. She was named to the SEC Preseason Watch List and was previously named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and a second team All-SEC performer in 2012.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE
• Tennessee enters the weekend with a 5-4 overall record and is 0-1 in SEC play. The Volunteers have faced three top-25 teams, and have scored multiple goals in four games this season, including two of their last three contests. Tennessee fell at No. 11 Texas A&M, 3-0, on Friday and then defeated East Tennessee, 3-0, last Sunday in Johnson City. ETSU entered the game as the nation's top-ranked offense.
• The Volunteers are led by senior Hannah Wilkinson. Wilkinson has contributed a team-leading four goals while adding one assist. Sophomore Amy Neal has added seven points for UT, scoring three goals and collecting one assist. Fellow sophomore Anna McClung has collected six points (2g, 2a).
• Tennessee's roster returns 17 players, including six starters, while adding 16 new players. The Vols lost a total of 14 players from last season's squad that finished 8-7-4 overall and 12th in the SEC.
• The Vols were selected to finish fifth in the conference, as voted by SEC head coaches.
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
• Vanderbilt enters the weekend with a 5-4 overall records and is 0-1 in SEC play. The Commodores are undefeated at home and have outscored opponents 11-2 in four contests in Nashville. Vanderbilt is coming off a loss at Georgia, 3-1, on Sunday, Sept. 21.
• The Commodores are led by freshman Colby Ciarrocca, who has scored a team-leading five goals for VU. She was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 2 when she scored four goals, scoring twice in wins over Cincinnati and Memphis. Sophomore Simone Charley ranks second on the team in points with nine (3g, 3a). Charley was selected to as a preseason SEC player to watch.
• Vanderbilt returns 21 letterwinners from 2013, including nine starters, from last season's 4-12-3 squad that finished 13th in the SEC.
• The Commodores were slotted to finish 13th in the SEC preseason poll, as voted on by league coaches.
SERIES HISTORY
• Tennessee and Alabama will meet for the 16th time in series history on Friday night, with the Volunteers owning the all-time series 10-4-1 and owning a 6-0-1 record against the Tide when the two face off in Knoxville.
• UA and UT last met on Sept. 29, 2013 when Alabama earned the 4-2 victory in Tuscaloosa.
• Vanderbilt and Alabama will meet for the 22nd time overall on Sunday night, with the Commodores leading the all-time series 13-4-4. Vandy has won nine of 11 contest vs. Alabama in Nashville (9-1-1).
• UA and VU last met on Sept. 27 of last season, with Alabama earning the 5-2 victory in Tuscaloosa.
SHOOTING STARS
• Alabama has produced 168 shots in nine contests, including a season-high 31 vs. Alabama State. The team has produced 15 or more shots in six of nine contests this year.
• Freshman Lacey Clarida leads the Tide with 28 shots and has placed 16 on goal with two in goal. Seniors Merel Van Dongen and Theresa Diederich are tied for second on the team with 22 shots, 10 on goal. Diederich has accumulated four goals while van Dongen has accounted for two.
• Alabama's 168 shots this season ranks third in the SEC.
SENIOR STANDOUTS
• Seniors Laura Lee Smith, Theresa Diederich and Merel Van Dongen have excelled in their final year with the Alabama soccer team.
• Combined, the three have contributed 11 goals, 12 assists and 34 total points. Those totals amount to nearly half of the team's production in each respective category.
• Smith has contributed 13 points, including a team-leading five goals. She has also addeed three assists to the team total. She ranks sixth in the SEC in points, just six behind the league leader.
• Diederich has tallied 12 points (4g, 4a). Her three assists on Aug. 22 vs. Kennesaw State are tied for the most in a game by an SEC player this season. She shares that record with her teammate Smith, who contributed three assists as well in the Sept. 21 game vs. Alabama State.
• Van Dongen ranks first on the team in assists (5) and has added two goals. Her five assists rank 25th nationally and place her tied for sixth in the SEC.
WHO'S HOT
• Seniors Laura Lee Smith and Merel Van Dongen have been turning their play up a notch as of late.
• In the past three games, both have recorded at least one point in each contest, and have combined for 11 total points during the stretch.
• Smith collected three assists most recently against Alabama State. Prior to the Alabama State game on Sept. 21, she scored one goal apiece versus Florida (9/19) and UAB (9/12).
• Van Dongen contributed two assists in last Sunday's contest at home versus the Hornets. Prior to that game, she assisted Smith twice, once for the lone goal against Florida and once against UAB.
NATIONAL & CONFERENCE RANKINGS
• Alabama has produced 77 total points in 2014, including 25 assists and 26 goals.
• Nationally, UA ranks 14th in points, 15th in scoring offense and 16th in assists.
• In the SEC, Alabama currently leads the league in goals, goals per game (2.89) and points.
• The Tide also ranks second in assists third in shots (168) for the SEC.
NEXT WEEK
• Alabama will return home for its second weekend facing SEC competition and the first all-SEC homestand of the season. The Tide will face South Carolina on Friday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. and then finish the weekend against Ole Miss at 1 p.m. with both games at the Alabama Soccer Complex.
• The Gamecocks own the all-time series, 12-4, and are 5-2 all-time in Tuscaloosa with Alabama's last win at home coming on Oct. 17, 2008. The two teams last met on Oct. 11, 2013 when South Carolina earned the 2-1 victory in Columbia.
• Following Friday's match, Alabama will take on Ole Miss. The Rebels own the all-time series, 13-7, but are just 4-5 all-time when playing in Tuscaloosa. The two teams last met on Oct. 27 of last season, with Mississippi claiming the 2-1 win in Oxford.
