2021 SEC women's soccer tournament
The 2021 SEC women's soccer tournament was the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southeastern Conference held from October 31 to November 7, 2021. The tournament was held at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Alabama. The ten-team single elimination tournament consisted of four rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The Vanderbilt Commodores are the defending champions.[1] The Commodores were unable to defend their crown, losing to Florida in the First Round. Tennessee won the tournament with a 1–0 victory over Arkansas in the final.[2] The conference championship is the fifth for the Tennessee women's soccer program and the first for head coach Brian Pensky.[3] As tournament champions, Tennessee earned the Southeastern Conference's automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament.
2021 SEC women's soccer tournament | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Classification | Division I | ||||
Teams | 10 | ||||
Matches | 9 | ||||
Site | Orange Beach Sportsplex Orange Beach, Alabama | ||||
Champions | Tennessee (5th title) | ||||
Winning coach | Brian Pensky (1st title) | ||||
MVP | Abbey Burdette (Tennessee) | ||||
Broadcast | SEC Network | ||||
|
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | PCT | W | L | T | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 11 Tennessee ‡y | 8 | – | 2 | – | 0 | .800 | 20 | – | 3 | – | 0 | .870 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 10 South Carolina y | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | .650 | 14 | – | 7 | – | 1 | .659 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | .550 | 8 | – | 8 | – | 3 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia | 4 | – | 4 | – | 2 | .500 | 11 | – | 5 | – | 3 | .658 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | .350 | 4 | – | 12 | – | 4 | .300 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | .300 | 6 | – | 11 | – | 0 | .353 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kentucky | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | .100 | 7 | – | 10 | – | 2 | .421 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 6 Arkansas †y | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | .900 | 19 | – | 4 | – | 1 | .813 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 18 Ole Miss y | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | .650 | 12 | – | 6 | – | 3 | .643 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn y | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | .550 | 12 | – | 7 | – | 1 | .625 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alabama y | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | .550 | 11 | – | 10 | – | 1 | .523 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas A&M | 4 | – | 5 | – | 1 | .450 | 8 | – | 8 | – | 2 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LSU y | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | .400 | 11 | – | 8 | – | 1 | .575 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mississippi State | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | .350 | 5 | – | 8 | – | 3 | .406 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† – Conference champion ‡ – 2021 SEC Tournament champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of December 7, 2021 Rankings from United Soccer Coaches Poll Source:SEC |
Qualification
The top 10 teams in the conference qualified for the 2021 Tournament.[4][5] Tiebreakers were required to determine the third and fourth seeds as Ole Miss and South Carolina both finished with 6–3–1 regular season records. Ole Miss was awarded the third seed and South Carolina earned the fourth seed based on Ole Miss' 2–1 victory over South Carolina during the regular season. Another tiebreaker was required to determine the seeding for Alabama, Auburn, and Vanderbilt, as all three teams finished with a 5–4–1 conference record. Due to the fact that all three teams did not play each other during the regular season points earned against common opponents was used as the tiebreaker. Auburn was awarded the fifth seed based on their 4 points earned, Alabama was the 6th seed with 1 point earned, and Vanderbilt was the seventh seed with zero points earned. There was another three way tie for the tenth, and final seed between Florida, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State as all three teams finished with a 3–6–1 conference record. Again, all three teams had not played each other during the regular season, so points against common opponents was used. All three teams scored 6 points against common opponents, so goal differential against common opponents was used. Florida won this tiebreaker with a 0 GD and was awarded the tenth seed. Texas A&M was the eleventh team with a -1 GD, and Mississippi State was the twelfth team with a -2 GD.[6]
Seed | School | Conference Record | Conference Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Arkansas | 9–1–0 | 27 |
2 | Tennessee | 8–2–0 | 24 |
3 | Ole Miss | 6–3–1 | 19 |
4 | South Carolina | 6–3–1 | 19 |
5 | Auburn | 5–4–1 | 16 |
6 | Alabama | 5–4–1 | 16 |
7 | Vanderbilt | 5–4–1 | 16 |
8 | Georgia | 4–4–2 | 14 |
9 | LSU | 4–6–0 | 12 |
10 | Florida | 3–6–1 | 10 |
Bracket
First round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Arkansas | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
8 | Georgia | 0 (4) | 9 | LSU | 1 | ||||||||||||||
9 | LSU (pen.) | 0 (5) | 1 | Arkansas | 5 | ||||||||||||||
5 | Auburn | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | South Carolina | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | Auburn | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Arkansas | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Tennessee | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Ole Miss | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Vanderbilt | 1 (3) | 6 | Alabama | 0 | ||||||||||||||
10 | Florida (pen.) | 1 (4) | 3 | Ole Miss | 2 | ||||||||||||||
2 | Tennessee | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
10 | Florida | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Tennessee | 5 |
Matches
First round
October 31 Match 1 | Vanderbilt | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | Florida | Orange Beach |
1:00 p.m. CT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex |
Penalties | ||||
|
|
October 31 Match 2 | Georgia | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p) | LSU | Orange Beach |
3:30 p.m. CT | Report | Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex | ||
Penalties | ||||
|
|
Quarterfinals
November 2 Match 3 | Tennessee | 5–2 | Florida | Orange Beach |
12:00 p.m. CT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex |
November 2 Match 4 | Ole Miss | 1–0 | Alabama | Orange Beach |
2:30 p.m. CT |
|
Report | Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex |
November 2 Match 5 | Arkansas | 2–1 | LSU | Orange Beach |
5:00 p.m. CT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex |
November 2 Match 6 | South Carolina | 1–2 | Auburn | Orange Beach |
7:30 p.m. CT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex |
Semifinals
November 4 Semifinal 1 | Arkansas | 5–1 | Auburn | Orange Beach |
5:00 p.m. CT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex |
November 4 Semifinal 2 | Tennessee | 3–2 | Ole Miss | Orange Beach |
7:30 p.m. CT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex |
Final
November 7 Final | Arkansas | 0–3 | Tennessee | Orange Beach |
1:00 p.m. CT | Report |
|
Stadium: Orange Beach Sportsplex |
Statistics
There were 30 goals scored in 9 matches, for an average of 3.33 goals per match.
5 goals
- Jaida Thomas – Tennessee
2 goals
- Kayla McKeon – Arkansas
- Anna Podojil – Arkansas
1 goal
- Ava Benedetti – Arkansas
- Bea Franklin – Arkansas
- Taylor Malham – Arkansas
- M.E. Craven – Auburn
- Sydney Richards – Auburn
- Sydnie Thibodaux – Auburn
- Georgia Eaton-Collins – Florida
- Julianne Leskauskas – Florida
- Shannon Cooke – LSU
- Channing Foster – Ole Miss
- Saydie Holland – Ole Miss
- Molly Martin – Ole Miss
- Catherine Barry – South Carolina
- Abbey Burdette – Tennessee
- Wrenne French – Tennessee
- Mackenzie George – Tennessee
- Taylor Huff – Tennessee
- Hannah Tillett – Tennessee
- Maddie Elwell – Vanderbilt
1 own goal
- Ole Miss (against Tennessee)
- Vanderbilt (against Florida)
All-Tournament team
Player | Team |
---|---|
Parker Goins | Arkansas |
Kayla McKeon | |
Haley VanFossen | |
Olivia Candelino | Auburn |
M.E. Craven | |
Molly Martin | Ole Miss |
Taylor Radecki | |
Abbey Burdette | Tennessee |
Wrenne French | |
Mackenzie George | |
Jaida Thomas |
MVP in bold
Source:[7]
References
- "SEC Championships - Soccer 2020". www.secsports.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- "SEC Championships - Soccer 2021". www.secsports.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- "2021 Soccer Record Book" (PDF). secsports.com. SEC. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- Tourism, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. "2021 SEC Women's Soccer Tournament". Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- Kristensen, Anthony. "Teams desperate as SEC soccer tournament approaches". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- "SEC Soccer Tournament:Road to Orange Beach" (PDF). secsports.com. SEC. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- "WSOC Week 15" (PDF). secsports.com. SEC. November 23, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2022.