CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga women's soccer team kicks off the 2023 season Thursday night against Vanderbilt at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Mocs at Vanderbilt
Time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Nashville, Tenn. | Vanderbilt Soccer Complex
Live Stats: GoMocs.com
Streaming: SECN+
Links for live stats and SECN+ can be found on the women's soccer schedule page of GoMocs.com.
 
MOCS vs. VANDERBILT
The two teams have met four times in the regular season and several times in preseason exhibition matches. The Commodores have won all four meetings, three on the road and one in Chattanooga.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Vanderbilt beat the Mocs 3-0 in Nashville in 2019. After an early goal, the Commodores were held without another until the second half. While outshooting UTC 19-4, only six of the VU shots were on goal. Keeper Ashton Shields had three saves in the match and four Chattanooga players had shots with Samantha Shaw and Hollie Massey each with one on goal.
 
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA
The Mocs played three preseason exhibition matches this season with one at home and two on the road. In the first two, the Mocs outshot its opponents 12-5 and had a draw at Murray State. Head coach Gavin McKinney was able to get a lot of looks from his players with most getting significant playing time. The Mocs return 13 players from the 2022 Southern Conference champion squad and field eight newcomers including one transfer and seven freshmen. Fabia Reinschmidt was selected a "freshman to watch" by Top Drawer Soccer.
 
JOHANNSDOTTIR TIES EXHIBITION IN 81ST MINUTE
Junior Birna Johannsdottir fired off the game-tying goal at Murray State in the Mocs second exhibition game of the season. She scored into the bottom right corner of the net to tie the match in the 81st minute.
 
MCKINNEY NAMED AMBASSADOR FOR ACS MEN WEAR PINK
Head coach Gavin McKinney will be sporting the Pink look in a few games this season in honor of his wife Shari who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. McKinney is an ambassador for the American Cancer Society's "Men Wear Pink" campaign and is raising funds to fight breast cancer.
 
MACKENZIE SMITH NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERNCE
Senior captain Mackenzie Smith was named to the Southern Conference Coaches Preseason All-Conference Team. She earned all-conference first team honors in 2022.
 
MOCS PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH BY NARROW MARGIN
With just three points separating second, third and fourth in the SoCon Coaches Preseason Poll, the Mocs were picked to finish fourth with 64 points. Mercer was one point ahead with 65 points and UNCG second with 67. Samford, 2022 Co-Champions, received seven first place votes and 77 points for first. The Mocs received two first place votes and UNCG received one.
 
2023 Southern Conference Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Samford (7).............. 77
2. UNCG (1)................. 67
3. Mercer..................... 65
4. Chattanooga (2)...... 64
5. Western Carolina...... 48
6. Furman.................... 40
7. ETSU........................ 34
8. The Citadel............... 26
9. Wofford................... 20
10. VMI....................... 9
 
2023 Southern Conference Preseason All-Conference Team
F....... Nieva Gaither, Furman
F....... Jada Moorman, Mercer
F....... Taylor Yount, Samford
F....... Isabella Demarco, Western Carolina
MF.... Gabi Santora, UNCG
MF.... Whitaker Buchanon, Samford
MF.... Mackenzie Smith, Chattanooga
D....... Celeste Nader, The Citadel
D....... Parker Sikora, UNCG
D....... Kylie Gazza, Samford      
GK..... Emma Malone, UNCG
 
MOCS SOCCER RETURNS TO FINLEY STADIUM
For the third time the Mocs are calling Finley Stadium home. Chattanooga hosted UT Martin in 1998 for its first game there, scoring a 5-1 victory, and remained through the 2004 season. After five seasons at the North River Soccer Complex, UTC returned to Finley in 2010 and played 11 seasons on the turf field. In 2019, UTC constructed the Sports Complex on campus next to historic Engel Stadium. The facility hosted the Mocs for four campaigns, including 2022, when UTC claimed its first Southern Conference regular season title. Chattanooga hosts nine matches at Finley Stadium this season, including an August 5 exhibition against Western Kentucky.