2021 Regular Season Opener

At a Glance

• Following two exhibition games, the Vanderbilt soccer team officially opens the 2021 season at 7 p.m. Thursday versus Tennessee Tech at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex. 
• Vanderbilt is 5-0 in the all-time series versus Tennessee Tech. 
• The Dores are ranked No. 18 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 poll, while Tennessee Tech is unranked. 

Last Time Out 

• Sophia Gorski netted two goals in a 2-0 exhibition game win over Chattanooga on Aug. 8.
• In the other exhibition game, Vandy fell by a 1-0 final score at Memphis on Aug. 13. 

Rankings

• The Commodores are ranked No. 18 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.
• In the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Poll, Vandy is ranked No. 21. 

Preseason Honors 

• Vanderbilt was picked fourth in the SEC Preseason Poll – voted on by the conference’s 14 head coaches. 
• Abi Brighton, Maddie Elwell, Madiya Harriott, Raegan Kelley and Ella Shamburger were named to the SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List. 

The Squad

• Among Vanderbilt’s returners, 12 played in at least 12 games a season ago.
• Among the returners are All-SEC performers Maddie Elwell and Ella Shamburger.
• Now a sophomore, Abi Brighton secured SEC All-Freshman Team accolades a season ago.
• The leading scorer among the returners is senior Raegan Kelley with five a season ago. The Atlanta, Georgia, native scored three goals in the 2020 SEC Tournament, including one in the championship game versus Arkansas.

The Schedule

• The 2021 fall schedule includes 18 regular season games. 
• A total of 10 regular season games will be played at home in Nashville.
• The Commodores will play eight nonconference games before the gauntlet that is the SEC portion of their schedule.
• The Commodores will take on six teams that finished ranked or receiving votes in the final United Soccer Coaches poll—No. 7 Duke, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 22 South Carolina, No. 23 Ole Miss and receiving-votes Pepperdine.

Head Coach Darren Ambrose

• Now in his seventh season leading Vanderbilt soccer, Darren Ambrose has guided one of the best runs in program history.
• The Dores have amassed a 70-39-11 record and 33-20-7 SEC mark during his tenure.
• Fourteen of those wins are over ranked opponents, meaning Ambrose has guided the program to 14 of its 22 wins over ranked teams.
• To date, Vanderbilt has four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament, an SEC regular season championship (2018), a tournament championship (2020) and an SEC East Division championship (2019) under his leadership.

Up Next

• The Dores host Purdue at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex at 1 p.m. Aug. 22.