News|Schedule / Results|Roster|Officers &Coaches|

Volunteers victorious over Vanderbilt in OT

Box Score

Feb. 19, 2011

Father Ryan High School’s turf field and stadium helped set the stage in a critical game for both the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University. The Vols visited Nashville, Tenn. to face off against the Commodores as both teams looked for their first division win.  

As the game began Tennessee came out firing as they looked to establish a quick goal scoring mentality. However Vanderbilt’s goalie and defense only allowed one goal on an impressively placed shot from junior midfielder Woody Kidd (Burke, VA-Lake Braddock Secondary). The score would remain 1-0 in favor of Tennessee at the end of the first.

In the second however the scoring output for both teams steadily increased as well as the shifts in momentum. Sophomore midfielders David Avveduti (Fairfax, VA-Paul VI) and Tray Harrell (Marietta, GA-Kell HS) connected as Harrell brought the lead to two. Vanderbilt didn’t break though as they quickly came back to cut the lead in half immediately on a fast break off the proceeding faceoff. Tennessee would quiet the cheers soon enough as junior midfielder John Ellis Porter (Franklin, Tenn. -Franklin HS) and junior attackmen Chris McDonald (Germantown, Tenn. -Houston) brought the score to 4-1. Vanderbilt again responded, this time with three straight unanswered goals to tie the game up at four. Porter stopped the streak when he found freshman midfielder Fran Chatfield (Cincinnati, OH- Seven Hills) as the Vols took a 5-4 lead into the half.

Vanderbilt started the third quarter with something to prove as they were relentless on the offensive side. Scoring twice on Tennessee’s man down defense and once on a settled set the Commodores took a head spinning 7-5 lead. Kidd then found freshman attackman David Fluharty (Millsboro, DE- Sussex Tech) for a crucial score before the third quarter ended with the Vols down one.

Fluharty carried the jolt of energy provided by his first goal into the fourth as Porter’s third assist found him for his second straight goal. The Vols had tied it up, but mistakes turned the game once more to Vanderbilt’s favor as they scored some four minutes later. In games of this magnitude things sometimes just fall into place as it did for attackmen John Wilson (Franklin, Tenn. –Ravenwood/Gettysburg) when then senior batted in a shot’s rebound late in the fourth quarter. The sidelines erupted afterwards and both defenses would hold strong forcing overtime.    

In overtime both teams waited anxiously to see who’d control the ball first as they set up the faceoff. Vanderbilt initially controlled the ball until freshman defensemen Jesse Thompson (Alpharetta, GA-Alpharetta) knocked the ball out in front of Tennessee’s bench. As players continued to applaud Thompson’s efforts, the Vols’ turned the ball over for a second until a Vanderbilt defensive pole lobbed a pass into the middle of the field and intercepted by Woody Kidd. Kidd quickly advanced the ball  to Chatfield who dumped it to McDonald for the game winning goal as the bench emptied onto the field in excitement.

Not to be lost in all this was the play of Tennessee’s goalie Jordan Blazer (Libertyville, IL-Libertyville) who had seven saves on nine shots alone in the fourth quarter when the Vols were down. Tennessee left Nashville with it’s first divisional victory of the year as they look forward to traveling down to Florida in match ups versus Florida State University and the University of Florida this weekend.