Fact Filled Knoxville Article On Lady Vols - Includes Pilots

Found this article on the Tennessee Lady Vols Soccer Team, and thought some of you might be interested in the Pilots Round #3 opponent on Saturday night:

http://www.wbir.com/news/regional/story.aspx?storyid=51523&provider=rss

What struck me is the thoroughness of the story. It is extremely well written and filled with interesting info. There also is a profile of the Pilots that is much more in depth than any opponent's website I have ever seen. If interested, enjoy the read.

Also, watch out for junior Kylee Rossi, the 2007 SEC Offensive Player of the Year. She leads her team with 30 points, on 12 goals and 6 assists. Also, she is the all-time goal scoring leader for the program with one year left to play. (I don't want to see her name on any stats scoring summary Sunday morning...ALL SHUTOUTS - ALL WINS! And then we can celebrate and blow the roof off!!!)

It is a very informative article, thanks for the post.

fanITIC,

WOW! great post!!!. the most interesting thing i found in that article was that the vol's r 14-0-2 when leading after the 1st half. that tells me it is very important that if nothing else we are tied at half time..
forgive me, but when it gets to be playoff time, i get very nervous. i know anything can happen an not necessarily the best team wins. that's why i was holding my breath with the colorado game. any team may be able to hang with a team. but that doesnt mean the best team wins.

fooziewoozie,

Your description of yourself sounds exactly like you are are talking about me. I could NEVER get comfortable in the Colorado game. I only start to breathe a little easier when we have a TWO goal lead. I also think it important that at the very least we're tied at hafttime.

I also agree that the better team sometimes loses these close, intense play-off games. The ONLY philosophy to take is one I believe the Pilots program is built around: You must at ALL times play every second tenaciously, always attacking, always playing defense with all eleven players. EVERY SINGLE PLAYER on the pitch is a defender! Every play, at all cost.

Attacking is THE best defense there is. It keeps the other team out of rythym, out of sync, and out of their comfort zone. We can't EVER let the opponent get any sort of comfort or groove. We WILL eventually wear them down, score by constantly putting pressure on their back line and GK, and give them psychologically no hope of winning the game.

We must play this way for the next four games. Even the mighty UCLA's, UNC's, etc., must be taken down and taken apart piece by piece.....as we did to UCLA in the Finals in 2005. THAT - was Pilots soccer at its greatest.

(I admit this is all much more difficult to do as we go deeper and meet teams with at least as much talent as we have. It then becomes a matter of wills, chemistry and heart - we simply MUST be the strongest of them all.)

I guess we're all nervous wrecks. Easier to play than to watch.

Here are some stat comparisons, for what they're worth. The main thing to remember is "Have fun! Play hard! Business as usual!"

UT (21 games) 33 goals for, 17 against
Pilots (20 games) 51 goals for, 9 against

UT 1.51 goals per game
Pilots 2.55 goals per game

UT 363 shots, 9.1% were goals
Pilots 361 shots, 14.1% were goals

UT 363 shots, 151 (41.6%) on goal
Pilots 361 shots, 172 (47.6%) on goal

UT 17.3 shots per game
Pilots 18.1 shots per game

UT 129 corner kicks (6.14 per game)
Pilots 145 corner kicks (7.25 per game)

UT opponents 0.78 goals per game
Pilots opponents 0.45 goals per game

UT opponents 279 shots, 6.1% were goals
Pilots opponents 115 shots, 7.8% were goals

UT opponents 279 shots, 117 (41.9%) on goal
Pilots opponents 115 shots, 51 (44.3%) on goal

UT opponents 13.3 shots per game
Pilots opponents 5.8 shots per game

UT opponents 82 corner kicks (3.90 per game)
Pilots opponents 49 corner kicks (2.45 per game)

According to the RPI, UT has played a harder schedule than the Pilots.

upfanatic,
you are awesome with your stats! the thing that concerns me in those stats is that while the vol's give up more then twice as many shots an shots on goal, their percemtages are lower then our girl's. but, while the teams numbers of shots are basically identical, our percentage numbers are significantly better.
it makes me wonder if the vol's defense is that good or if the opponents in the wcc, [outside of santa clara], are not that good?

I noticed that, too. Our opponents got less shots, but they were more accurate. What does that mean? Could it relate to different soccer tactics among the teams we played vs the teams Tennessee played? I've noticed in the past that Santa Clara never seems to take a lot of shots, but their SOG percentages are high. One of the things I have no idea about is what typical SEC tactics are -- i.e., short passing ball control game, boot it forward in the air and run on to it, or a variety, or what? I have the idea that the WCC is the most short pass/ball control oriented conference, which could account for less shots. But, why more accurate? Perhaps more patient and therefore waiting for good shots?

Whatever the answers, I'm anticipating a great game. Plus, notwithstanding what sometimes can happen in soccer (In college long ago, my team defeated a defending national champion, 2-1. They outshot us 35-2!), historically, the Pilots have been very good at winning games they should win. I think this team is as determined as any and is very mature, so it should be fun!

Is it Saturday YET!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Yes, aleppiek, IT IS SATURDAY!!! Time for Pilots vs Tennessee!
(Round 3 of 6 - if we play our cards right.)

Great job on the stats, UPSoccerFanatic! (We all seem to have found a niche that unites our unique backgrounds with our common love for the Pilots women's soccer team.) I think I speak for many when I say that we truly appreciate the many hours you have put into all these statistical analyses. You compliment Geezer very well.

"Have fun! Play Hard! Business as usual!" Garrett's eternal flame that awakes, ignites and unites our Pilots to take the pitch - and take the game to its upper limits!