By Marty Camacho
November 10—The final whistle blew as rain poured heavily on the pitch, leaving players and spectators alike drenched as contrasting emotions were embraced—joy for the Texas Longhorns and disappointment for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The white-clad Longhorns defeated the Gamecocks 1-0 in an evenly matched game, the winning goal coming from a corner kick headed in by defender Carly Montgomery in the 79th minute to shock the Gamecocks. Both teams gave out a performance fitting for the finale of the annual South Eastern Conference tournament that brought the fire of passion and competitiveness to Ashton Brosnaham Park.
Games were tense and competitive from the first matchday. Players from the 12 competing schools always walked onto the pitch ready and hungry for the win. Often, brilliant displays of skill garnered “Oohs” and cheers from the lively audience, ready to explode at any moment that the ball hit the back of the net.
The thrill was high the entire tournament. The SEC adheres to the golden goal rule in the two overtime periods, and it was the decider for two matches. The first occurred during the quarterfinals, in a match between Mississippi State and Tennessee that ended 2-1 in favor of Mississippi—a scrappy game that went to two overtime periods, ending with a golden goal 11 seconds into the second overtime period.
Another golden goal was then witnessed at the semifinals in the 2-1 match between the eventual champions Texas Longhorns and Arkansas—a shot by Texas defender, Laura Lapomarda, found the back of the net to end the game in the 108th minute.
Aside from the brilliant show of skills and talents, the tournament brought activity to the local Pensacola community and excitement to soccer fans and supporters of the 12 SEC schools that competed in the tournament, some of which had traveled far to watch their team compete.
During the final day, which started with a fan fest, over 2,000 spectators attended and enjoyed the hour before the game with activities prepared by the event organizers and local organizations. Their engagement and enthusiasm were then seen during the game, their cheers rocking the pitch and igniting the players despite the downpour that persisted much of the game. The tournament recorded an attendance totaling over 7,600 throughout the whole event, topping last year’s tally by over a thousand.
SEC first came to Pensacola in 2022 and is guaranteed to be held at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex until 2026, with a potential extension for three-year cycles after the contract period. It is an event that is welcomed and anticipated, rightfully so, with the excitement, competitiveness, and fanfare that it brings.
