NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Before Sunday’s game, Lipscomb hadn’t allowed a goal or suffered a loss.
Vanderbilt changed that.
Sasha Gray and Claire Anderson each scored their first goals of the season to lift the Commodores to a 2-0 victory over the Bisons on a balmy Sunday afternoon at the VU Soccer/Lacrosse Complex.
The Commodores (3-3) picked up their second straight victory and posted their second consecutive shutout to reach .500 for the first time this season. Gray’s fifth career goal in the 27th minute proved to be all the Commodores needed against a previously stingy Lipscomb defense.
For 605 minutes this season, the Bisons (4-1-2) had held opponents scoreless. Their six straight shutouts to open the season are an Atlantic Sun record.
“Credit to Lipscomb, they are a good team and they have played a good schedule, too,” Vanderbilt coach Darren Ambrose said. “(But) we told our kids before the game, ‘It is time we asserted ourselves properly.’ We’ve done it in minutes here and there. We challenged them to put together 90 minutes. We said they would be able to possess the ball like they did against Dartmouth (on Friday) at periods of time. To their credit today, I thought they did it almost the entire game.
“Maybe things are starting to click here and there. I think they showed today some of the things we have talked about are starting to click with different people. Really proud of their effort and communication – things we have talked about that haven’t been there were the differences on Friday and today.”
Vanderbilt outshot Lipscomb 20-9 and controlled the pace of the game. Gray grabbed a pass from Lydia Simmons down the sideline in the near corner and race toward the box. Gray, a junior, turned the corner and sailed in a shot about eight yards out just inside the near post.
Anderson gave the Commodores more than an enough insurance with her first career goal in the 75th minute. The junior defender turned and tapped in a shot past goalkeeper Anna Buhigas. Vanderbilt redshirt junior Lina Granados recorded an assist as she settled the ball and sent it in the direction of Anderson.
Defensively, the Commodores were stout again, allowing only nine shots and just two on goal. Sophomore Christiana Ogunsami had two saves and notched her second shutout of the season. Vanderbilt last allowed a goal against Seattle University a week ago in the 37th minute. The Commodores haven’t surrendered a goal in 233 minutes.
Vanderbilt, which has won three of its last four, stays at home for a pair of games this weekend. The Commodores open SEC play against Mississippi State at 7 p.m. on Friday and then step back out of conference against High Point at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
