Alabama
14-3-0, 7-2-0
Tennessee
6-5-4, 1-5-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Alabama | 0 | 2 | 2 |
10/23/2026 11:02:00 PM | Soccer
The Crimson Tide earns its first comeback win in regulation trailing at halftime since 2023
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Alabama soccer used a pair of second half goals to complete the 2-1 comeback win over Tennessee Friday night at the Alabama Soccer Stadium.
For the first time this season, Alabama (14-3-0, 7-2-0 SEC) found itself trailing at the half after Tennessee (6-5-4, 1-5-3 SEC) got on the board first in the 18th minute. In the 63rd minute, a Lady Vols penalty gave Larkin Thomason the opportunity to tie the game and she did so with her seventh penalty kick goal of the year and her 10th goal overall. That penalty also was a double yellow card for Tennessee, forcing the visitors to play with 10 on the field for the remainder of the game. In the 83rd minute, Ashley Roni picked off an errant pass just outside the box and tapped it in with her left foot to put the Crimson Tide ahead for good, 2-1.
From Head Coach Wes Hart
"First of all, credit to Tennessee. They made it difficult. They're a team that, in my opinion, is a lot better than their record. They're a good team and we knew going into the game it was going to be difficult. I thought they did a good job of getting a lot of numbers behind the ball and it made it difficult for us to attack. I thought we had some good spells of possession, but they were just hard to break down. Once they got the goal, then they really didn't need to come out and attack, so I knew it was going to be even harder. We went in at halftime in good spirits knowing that we were going to have a lot of territory. We just needed to figure out how to break them down. Obviously, the PK and the red card were huge. I think we took advantage of that and we scored a great second goal. Ashley Roni's work rate, pressing the entire game, paid off in the end. I think she picked the ball off an errored pass and it was a great goal by her. A great performance by so many players. So many players came in and impacted the game and played well. We're feeling really happy."
Highlights
- The comeback win was Alabama's first in regulation when trailing at the half since Oct. 26, 2023 vs. Missouri
- The Crimson Tide came back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to Northwestern in the first round of last season's NCAA Tournament (Nov. 14) to eventually win on penalty kicks
- The game marked the first time the Crimson Tide had trailed at the half all season
- Larkin Thomason improved on her season-record penalty kick total with her seventh of the year which also gives her the team lead with 10 overall
- Ashley Roni kept pace just behind Thomason with her ninth goal of the season
Scoring Summary
- 18' | Tennessee scored first on a header (0-1)
- 63' | Larkin Thomason converted on a penalty kick (1-1)
- 83' | Ashley Roni intercepted an errant pass for the unassisted goal (2-1)
Up Next
- Sunday, Nov. 1 at Mississippi State – Starkville, Miss. – 12 p.m. CT
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Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Sophia Prime (1)
Assisted By: Ayva Jordan
GOAL by TEN Prime, Sophia Assist by Jordan, Ayva.
17:22
Larkin Thomason (9)
ALA Larkin Thomason PENALTY KICK GOAL.
62:45
Ashley Roni (9)
GOAL by ALA Roni, Ashley.
82:15
