Tennessee (7-5-3, 2-3-2 SEC) and Auburn (4-8-3, 0-5-2 SEC) traded punches like two heavyweight champions on Friday night in a game that finished in a 1-1 tie after double overtime.

Aware that a win would be vital to their chances of qualifying for the SEC tournament, the two sides came out roaring. Caroline Brown, leading the Lady Vols with six goals this season, had the first chance of the evening in the 9th minute, but fired straight at goalkeeper Alicen Wright after fighting her way past two Auburn defenders.

The visitors then went on the offensive and forwards Haley Gerkin and Casie Ramsier wasted wonderful headed opportunities before Tennessee’s Hannah Wilkinson awkwardly chipped the ball over the crossbar with the goalkeeper off her line.

“I’m definitely beating myself up over that [miss]. The left foot shot is another technique that I still need to work on,” said a disappointed Wilkinson after the game.

The teams exchanged two more big blows before the close of the half, with Ramsier rifling a shot off the post in the 40th minute. At the other end, Wright sprawled to get her fingertips to a darting cross from Brown that nearly reached Wilkinson.

After the halftime interval, Tennessee picked up where it left off and the pressure almost reaped a reward when the gazelle-like Wilkinson beat the offside trap with ease only to fire into the hands of the Auburn goalkeeper.

The New Zealand international forward, as active as ever in attack, struck the post minutes later.

Auburn’s response came in the form of a cracking goal from Ramsier off a perfect cross in the 61st minute, leaving Tennessee’s Julie Eckel, who was fantastic again after letting in four goals against Kentucky last Sunday, with no chance.

In the 75th minute, as the Lady Vols pushed numbers upfield to get on level terms, Wilkinson drew what looked like a penalty after receiving a very heavy tackle in the box. The referee, having let the teams play without much interruption all game, calmly waved away the appeals.

At that point, Tennessee looked destined for defeat.

However, with just over a minute left in the game, and memories of last season’s SEC tournament elimination at the hands of the same foe looming, senior midfielder Katie Lenz stepped up and smashed a rebound from Wilkinson to secure overtime for the Lady Vols.

“When she shot it, I had a feeling it was going to deflect and I was kind of in the right spot at the right time, so I thought ‘just put it away’ and it went in,” said Lenz about the crucial strike.

Substitute Amy Neal was unlucky to not find a teammate in the first period of overtime with a dangerous cross that Wright again batted away. Indestructible on the night, the goalkeeper spurred on the Auburn defense and after a poor free-kick by Brown was blocked in the last seconds, the visitors were finally able to take a deep breath and exhale at the end of an exhilarating 110 minutes of play.

Tennessee coach Brian Pensky, though disappointed, was proud of his team’s effort on the night.

“This game can be cruel. I felt like we were all over them in the first fifteen or twenty [minutes] of the second half and then they get one look against the run of play and we’re chasing the game,” he said. “But credit to our kids. They battled their tails off.”

Wilkinson, who is No. 27 on Top Drawer Soccer’s list of best college players in the country, was also positive, despite continued struggles in offense for the team.

“I’m really proud of this team for the fight that we gave tonight,” said the junior forward.

“At the same time it kind of feels like a loss for us. We had a lot of opportunities and it’s definitely another learning curve. I had a lot of opportunities tonight and I’m disappointed in myself. But, you have to learn from it and move on.”

On Sunday, the Lady Vols visit an Arkansas team that is fresh off a dramatic 5-4 victory over Vanderbilt. Despite the pressure on them, Pensky believes his team will be prepared to go out there and display the fight that has been so characteristic of Tennessee this fall.

“We’ll keep trying to find that magic dust that gives us a win,” he assured, before signing off to rejoin his team in the locker room.