NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt soccer team opened up the season debuting eight new comers in a scoreless exhibition against Southeast Missouri State Tuesday night.
While no score showed at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex, the Dores saw success in their freshmen class as Nia Dorsey and Grace Jackson earned starts. In all, six of the Commodores nine freshmen took the field in competition for the black and gold. Jacqueline Welch, a defensive transfer from Winnetka, Ill. also saw her minutes on the backline for Vandy.
“It was our first game out and we’ve got a ways to go,” said head coach Darren Ambrose. “The physical effort was there with the freshmen, and there are tactical pieces that we’re obviously missing at the moment, and we expected that. But I really challenged our upperclassmen after the game… you know if you want to be better if you want to be better than last year then you need to give more in all areas and all phases of the game.”
Transfer goalkeeper Kaitlyn Fahrner also posted her first start in the goal for VU. The redshirt-junior had three saves in the second half off successful offensive attacks by the Redhawks.
While the Redhawks did force Farhner to show off her goalkeeping prowess, it was the Commodores who won the battle of shots on goal, forcing SEMO’s keeper, Kindra Lierz, to make six stops of her own.
Both teams had opportunities to score in either halves, with the Commodores nearly drawing blood first in the first. However Carley Bogan’s pass to Brook Colangelo was called offside by the linesman.
In the second half, once again VU had offensive momentum on its side after connecting several great passes and a cross to Colangelo. The sophomore midfielder took a shot four yards out, for a near lead, had SEMO’s defense not cleared the ball just outside of the goal. Colangelo capped Tuesday’s exhibition leading the Dores with four shots, redshirt-junior midfielder Lydia Simmons followed with three.
The Commodores will travel down to the Palmetto State, facing the Furman Paladins Saturday, August 13th at 5:00 pm CT in the last exhibition of the preseason.
