KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Guided by another brace from senior forward Danielle Marcano and a shutout effort from the Volunteer defensive unit, No. 2 seed Tennessee dispatched No. 3 seed Texas A&M 3-0 Sunday night in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16. UT advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time in program history.
Just two and a half minutes into the match, Marcano scored her third goal of the tournament to put the Vols (16-2-3) ahead 1-0 in the early going. The score came from point-blank range off a cross from left winger Meghan Flynn, who received the ball on a pass-through from Bunny Shaw.
A Buford, Ga. native, Marcano added some insurance right out of halftime with another strike in the 47th minute, giving UT a 2-0 cushion over the 16th-ranked Aggies. Shaw curved a pass into the box before McKinley Burketttapped the ball to Marcano, who finished it off into the top shelf from 12 yards out.
Junior forward Salera Jordan put the game away in the 68th minute with a header goal, scoring off a cross from Flynn to give Tennessee a 3-0 edge. MA Vignola set up the score with a pass to Flynn into the lower left corner of the pitch.
“This is a very storied program,” head coach Brian Pensky said following the match. “Angela Kelly did a fantastic job when she was here, so we had big shoes to fill. We have been working hard and trying to fill those shoes. To be the first team in 23 years of this program to advance to the Elite Eight, it’s incredibly special.”
“For these guys to advance to the Elite Eight, that’s what it is. It’s elite. When you are one game away from a College Cup, it’s special.”
Marcano is now Tennessee’s all-time points leader in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship, with 14 points courtesy of seven goals in the last two postseason tournaments. Former Lady Vol Kylee Rossi (2005-08) previously held the record with 11 points via four goals and three assists.
“Honestly, I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Marcano said. “I couldn’t do it obviously without Meghan. She’s had four assists in the past two games. Everybody just plays great balls in, and I’m just there to finish at the right time.”
Senior goalkeeper Shae Yanez recorded her 10th solo shutout of the season, racking up a career-high tying eight saves in the process. Tennessee has logged 12 clean sheets as a team, tying a program record that has stood since 2003.
“I am just so proud of this team,” Flynn said. “I feel like it takes everyone on the team working together to make this happen. Between our offense, our back line, the bench and our coaching staff, all of that energy contributes to the win. It really takes the whole group and I am just proud.”
Texas A&M (17-5-1) outshot Tennessee 15-13 for the match, headlined by SEC-leading goal-scorer Ally Watt who had four shot attempts with three on frame. The Aggies had three corner kicks compared to just one for the Vols.
UP NEXT: The Vols will head west to face No. 1 overall seed Stanford in the NCAA Quarterfinals. The match is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 23 at 5 PM ET at the Laird Q. Cagan Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif.
Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery
-UT Athletics
