Marcano leads 10th-ranked Vols to the Sweet Sixteen

No. 10 Tennessee is headed to the Sweet Sixteen after defeating the Arizona Wildcats 3-2 on Friday. The Vols were led by senior forward Danielle Marcano, who scored twice, including the game-winner in the 90th minute.

Tennessee appeared to have the game in hand with as much as 12 minutes remaining, but two quick Wildcat goals tied the score at 2-2.

“We were up against it in the last 18 minutes,” Vols head coach Brian Pensky said. “Absolutely against it. They were all over us. They were pressing us. We were rattled.”

Arizona matched Tennessee’s toughness for most the of game, tying the Vols in shots while forcing goalkeeper Shae Yanez to make six saves.

With momentum fading and overtime looming, the Vols decided the stack the box for their corner kick in the 90th minute.

That’s when the magic happened for Tennessee, as Marcano connected off a Katie Cousins corner from six yards out to seal the victory. The score gave the senior from Budford, Ga. her fourth game-winner of the season.

The win marks Tennessee’s first trip to the third round of the NCAA tournament since 2007.

Up next, the Vols are set for a Sweet Sixteen rematch against the third-seeded Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies are headed to the Sweet Sixteen for the 15th time in program history after defeating TCU 2-0 on Friday afternoon.

In the first meeting between the two teams, the No. 18 Vols upset the fifth-ranked Aggies 4-0.

The matchup is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 18 at Regal Soccer Stadium, and first touch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Edited by Jake Nichols.