Rutgers women’s soccer opened its 2026 season with a 4-1 loss at No. 24 Tennessee on Thursday night at Regal Soccer Stadium, as the Lady Vols used an early surge and a pair of goals from Kylee Simmons to take control.
Tennessee got on the board in the ninth minute when Simmons saw her first shot turned away, then buried the rebound to make it 1-0. The hosts kept pressing and doubled the lead in the 32nd minute, when Kai Tsakiris finished a loose ball after a free kick to send Tennessee into halftime up 2-0.
The Lady Vols stretched the margin shortly after the break. Just over 20 minutes into the second half, Simmons struck again on a cross that slipped through the box and found her for the finish, pushing the score to 3-0.
Rutgers finally answered with 15 minutes left. Emma Johns scored her first goal for the Scarlet Knights, beating two defenders before placing her shot into the bottom right corner of the net. It cut the deficit to two, but Tennessee put the game away 10 minutes later when Tsakiris converted a penalty kick for her second goal of the night and the 4-1 final.
In net, Rutgers made four saves, bringing her career total to 214, which ranks ninth all-time in program history.
The Scarlet Knights used 21 players in the match, including four freshman debuts. Lilia Calvert and Amanda Thornton both started in their first collegiate game, while Bea Tinoco and Tommi Rose Valente made their debuts off the bench. Lily Ann Phillips also made her Rutgers debut, starting in midfield.
Rutgers returns to action next Thursday at UConn, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. in Storrs.
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