TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 1 seed Alabama soccer (21-2-1) advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-1 victory over the No. 8 seed Portland Pilots (12-5-4) Friday night at the Alabama Soccer Stadium. The Crimson Tide will compete in the third round for the first time in program history.
Riley Mattingly Parker tallied UA’s first goal, collecting a penalty kick that was saved by the Portland goalkeeper to put it back into the net. Moments later, Felicia Knox fired a corner kick into the box that was deflected into goal by a Pilot defender.
“For us to be able to play, on a beautiful night with our fans in the stands and on a great field, is everything. We earned the right, with the season we had, to host these games and I’m certainly glad we’re home.
“Portland was a tough opponent. We knew going into it, in watching video, we knew they were going to be organized and athletic and tough. I thought they did a good job of making it difficult for us to create chances. But I did think as the game wore on, specifically at the end of that first half, that we kind of gained a little bit of momentum and started kind of winning the territory battle.”
66′ | Second Half
Riley. Mattingly. Parker. ??????
??1
?0??ESPN+#RollTide pic.twitter.com/vqyzA1oA1E
— Alabama Soccer (@AlabamaSoccer) November 19, 2022
How It Happened
- Alabama and Portland remained tied after the first 45 minutes of competition, despite the Tide outshooting Portland, 8-2, including placing four shots on target
- UA had its best scoring opportunities in the final minutes of the opening half
- Riley Tanner drew a penalty kick in the 66th minute for the Tide
- Portland’s goalkeeper Bre Norris saved the initial attempt, but Riley Mattingly Parker charged the net to score off the rebound to make it 1-0 Alabama
- Three minutes later Portland drew a penalty kick, with Cally Togiai finding the back of the net for the Pilots, tying the game at one goal apiece
- Alabama scored its second goal of the night from a corner kick delivered by Felicia Knox that took a deflection off a Portland defender to give the Crimson Tide the lead in the 75th minute
Game Notes
- The Tide advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history
- Friday’s win marked the first time in program history that Alabama has won two games in the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Alabama Athletics…