KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Junior goalkeeper Nadine Maher saved nine shots for the Southeastern Louisiana women's soccer team but 10^th-ranked Tennessee defeated SLU 2-0 Thursday night at Regal Soccer Stadium.
 
The majority of the first half was played near the Lady Lions (1-1-2) net. SLU withstood an offensive barrage from UT in the first half as the Lady Vols attempted 10 shots and five on goal.
 
"We know Nadine is capable of big games," said third-year SLU head soccer coach Chris McBride. "And she did that tonight and was a major contributor to the backline.
 
Maher, a Dublin, Ireland native, saved four shots in the first 45 minutes to keep Southeastern in the match.
 
However, Tennessee (4-1-0) cashed in on an opportunity in the 39^th minute when Mackenzie George drilled one to the back of the net giving the Lady Vols a 1-0 lead at halftime.
 
In the second half, the Lady Vols continued to control the action staying on the offensive attack. But SLU's backline put enough pressure on Tennessee forcing them into several rushed shot attempts.
 
The Lady Vols would put the game away in the 79^th minute when Salera Jordan scored on an assist from Colleen McIlvenna making it, 2-0.
 
Tennessee finished with attempted 18 shots, 11 on goal, for the match along with nine corner kicks. Southeastern managed a pair of corner kicks in the first half.
 
Despite the loss, McBride was extremely pleased with his team's effort competitive nature for the entire match.
 
"We just wanted to come in and compete and we did that tonight," said McBride. "We handled ourselves professionally and were able to handle the adversity all night long. We can learn a lot from tonight and I think we took giant steps in the right direction. To come off the field tonight losing 2-0 to a team the caliber of Tennessee, considering some matches where I was disappointed in the years past in our effort. Tonight, we showed we can compete with the best in the country.
 
Next up, the Lady Lions will return home to face South Alabama Sunday night at 6 p.m.
 
The Southeastern Sports Network will offer a free video stream of Sunday's match. Tune in online at www.LionSports.net or the Lions' Gameday Experience app for Android or iOS devices. Fans can also watch on Southeastern's YouTube channel (/SLUathletics) with any mobile, tablet or smart TV device (e.g., Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV and Roku). 
 
SCORE ONE MORE CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the women's soccer program are encouraged to join the Score One More Club.  Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners. All membership fees and donations to Score One More Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern soccer program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Soccer, follow @SLUSoccer and @chrismcbride88 on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.