ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — The Vanderbilt women’s soccer team pushed top seeded Florida to the edge Thursday before falling 5-3 in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.
After waiting an extra day to play due to inclement weather on the Gulf Coast, the Commodores and Gators combined for seven goals in a back-and-forth second half that thrilled SEC fans.
Florida scored the only goal of the first half in the 27th minute when Lindsay Thompson found Tahnai Annis for a header on the back post. The Gators would score again just four minutes into the second half on a goal from McKenzie Barney.
It took only 17 seconds for the Commodores to get on the board. Sophomore Dana Schwartz played the ball down the left side where senior Molly Kinsella chased it down. The Memphis product passed into the penalty area where junior Candace West controlled and rifled the ball just past the near post to cut the deficit to 2-1.
In the 53rd minute, Florida expanded its advantage to 3-1 when Erika Tymrak shot from 22 yards and scored off the right post. The Gators would hold a two-goal lead for the next 20 minutes, but Vanderbilt was not done fighting.
In the 75th minute, senior Megan Kinsella passed to her sister Molly at the top of the 18-yard box. Molly turned and fired, and the ball got past UF goalkeeper Katie Fraine to make the score 3-2 Florida.
In the 83rd minute, the Commodores would equalize the score on a goal by their third starting forward. Megan Kinsella dribbled past a host of Florida defenders and delivered a wonderful left-footed shot that beat Fraine to her left into the side-netting.
Vanderbilt’s third goal marked the first time that Florida has given up three goals in regulation since a 3-0 loss to UCLA on Sept. 6, 2009.
The game looked to be the third straight overtime contest of the day in the SEC Tournament, following a shootout win by South Carolina over Kentucky and a 1-0 extra time victory by LSU over Tennessee. But top-seeded Florida came through in the closing minutes. Annis gave the advantage back to the Gators in the 85th minute and Barney scored an insurance goal two minutes later for the final 5-3 tally.
