NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt’s home opener against the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles was all about opportunity. It was a chance to learn and compete against one of the most consistent programs in the country, as well as a time to experiment.
Most of all, Thursday’s game was an opportunity for the squad’s 12 new comers to see and understand the direction second year head coach Darren Ambrose and his staff plan on taking the team.
“You have to have a very defined way of playing when you’re going against a team like Florida State,” said Ambrose. “We all were confident in what we were doing going into the game. The sad part is that we had a 15-minute meltdown. We gave them one goal and we panicked. It’s such a shame because the mistakes we made were things we talked about. I’m disappointed to lose 3-0, but the good news is that some of the things that happened are things that we can clean up. I think the freshmen did well, and I think we showed a little bit of character in the second half.”
While the Dores were defeated by FSU 3-0, the team played with more patience and vision then its previous two outings. With the vocal support of goalkeeper Kaitlyn Farhner and the Vandy backline, the team’s offence connected concrete passes and to hold possession and generate attacks.
Vanderbilt only trailed 1-0 with 15 minutes left in the first half. The Commodores had chances of their own, as Jackie Welch enjoyed another fantastic outing for the Dores. The Winnetka, Ill. native got off a shot to put her squad on the board, but the Florida State line came through, blocking the shot.
“Jackie is a natural athlete, she understands competitive sport. She understands the tempo of the game, what it takes and how to use your body. She’s got spirit and fight. I give her credit; she’s come a long way in such a short time. But at this level we have to find a way to get the ball in the back of the goal. I can’t fault her for her effort or how she’s playing right now.”
Spreading the offensive attack throughout the pitch, as well as the Nole roster, three separate student-athletes aided in what would be the squad’s 3-0 victory within the first half. The Commodores generated three corners and two shots in the second half, but could not produce the necessary final touch to finish.
Kaitlyn Fahrner had another stellar outing for the Commodores; generating save after save and forcing most of FSU’s six corner kicks in the second half. In all, the transfer from Oklahoma had six saves in her third outing for the black and gold. The redshirt-junior heads into Sunday’s 1:00 pm CT matchup against Jackson State with 22 saves on the year; her most (10) coming against Miami of Ohio.
“Jackson State is a well-coached team. They lost to MTSU 6-2, but had chances to score goals. We’re going to look to play possessive, which we did at times today. Hopefully we can generate a few more chances in the 18-yard box… I’m looking for us to put a few more shots on frame and a few more in the back of the net.”
Commodore fans should come hungry to the 1:00 JSU game, as “Vanderbrunch” will be served! In addition, the first 100 kids under the age of 12 who register under the marketing tent get to play a 10-minute game with their Commodore team.
