A Tale of Two Halves For Alabama Soccer

A more urgent second half helped push the Crimson Tide past UC Irvine.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The first half was not a good showing for Alabama soccer.

 The Crimson Tide did not display its usual intensity during the first 45 minutes against UC Irvine in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The overall performance wasn't bad; the defense limited the Anteaters to only one shot and one corner kick the entire first half. 

It was offensively that the Tide was coming up short.

Alabama only had two shots on goal when the halftime whistle sounded, and only two corner kicks, far from the team that led the NCAA with 70 goals coming into Sunday's match.

But then in the second half it was a different story, leading to the 3-1 victory.

"They were very good opportunities, but only two shots on goal in the first half," Crimson Tide coach Wes Hart said. "Really just that [aggressive] mentality is what we preached at halftime."

Felicia Knox also used the word "urgency" to describe the difference in play in the second half, and it showed as the Tide went from two shots and two corner kicks to 12 shots  and eight corner kicks in the second half. 

The results of that adjustment were the three goals Alabama scored in the second half, a "bend it like Beckham" goal for Felicia Knox from a corner kick, a shot right in front of the goal by Ashlynn Serepca, and a penalty kick conversion by Knox which iced the game after Irvine scored a goal in the 66th minute.

"I didn't feel it was a tactical adjustment, it wasn't a need to change shape or anything like that," Hart said. We just need a desire and commitment to score goals."

The three goals give Alabama 73 for the season, extending its lead in the NCAA, and Knox was a big reason for that, showing off her goal-scoring ability as opposed to her facilitating. 

When asked if she prefers goals or assists, however, Knox prefers to setup the score rather than be the scorer herself.

"I like to assist. I like to give the ball to the goal scorers," Knox said. "I think it's more fun to help somebody else score."

Alabama will have most of Thanksgiving week to recover and prepare for an opponent that is not yet known. It will either be Duke, the No. 2 seed in this portion of the bracket, or South Carolina, the No. 3 seed that lost to Alabama in the regular season then beat the Crimson Tide in the SEC Tournament title game. 

The winner will travel to Tuscaloosa to play Friday night.

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See also: Alabama Defeats UC Irvine 3-1; Advances to Elite Eight