Oct. 9, 2014
Game Notes | Greene Interview | Anderson Interview
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Simultaneously, a challenge and opportunity await the Vanderbilt soccer team on Friday night.
The Commodores host No. 10 Texas A &M at 6 p.m. at the VU Soccer Complex. The Aggies (10-2-1, 4-1) are the defending SEC Tournament champs and lead the league with 31 goals. They are led by senior Shea Groom, who has scored 11 goals – tied for seventh-most in the country.
“They are truly a great team,” Vanderbilt coach Derek Greene said. “They are not missing in a lot of places on the field. You notice that when you watch them on the film. They are very good. This is one of the best teams I’ve seen in the SEC in a long time.”
Texas A&M poses a test, but the Commodores (5-7, 0-4-1) also know they represent an opportunity. In a three-game losing streak, Vanderbilt knows Friday’s game could provide a springboard into the last six games of the regular season.
“We’ve talked about it a little bit this week in understanding how fun and what a good opportunity it can be to host a top 10 team,” Vanderbilt coach Derek Greene said. “Absolutely understanding we are going to have some challenges in this game but stick together, battle hard and don’t give in at any point. And all it takes is us to get a counter against them and possibly be up 1-0. We have to work hard for it but this group is going to be ready. They’re motivated.”
The game will be televised on the SEC Network and those who attend are encouraged to wear pink to raise awareness in conjunction with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Commodores will wear pink accessories, including wristbands and shoelaces.
‘DORES WEEKLY REPORT
The Commodores dropped a pair of games on the road this past weekend. They suffered a 1-0 loss to Arkansas on Friday and fell 2-0 to Missouri on Sunday.
Vanderbilt has lost three straight and has been shut out the last four games. In fact, the team’s last goal (by Simone Charley) came against Georgia on Sept. 21 - a scoreless span of more than 463 minutes. The three-game losing streak is Vanderbilt’s longest since dropping three straight to end last season.
Against Arkansas, Vanderbilt fired nine shots but only four were on goal. Arkansas scored the lon goal in the 50th minute.
The Commodores got closer to scoring against Missouri with eight shots, including a couple that hit the cross bar, and five that were on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Christiana Ogunsami made 12 saves over the weekend to increase her SEC-best season total to 69 saves. Missouri scored in the first 24 seconds of the game, marking the first time all season Vanderbilt has allowed a first-half goal. The Commodores were the only SEC team through 12 games to not surrender a first-half goal.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
The Aggies lead the series 5-2 all-time and have won the last two meetings since moving to the SEC in 2012. Vanderbilt was shut out in both of those contests, losing 4-0 in 2012 in Nashville and 3-0 last year in College Station.
Texas A&M enters with a 10-2-1 record and a 4-1 mark in league play. The Aggies lost their first SEC contest of the season 1-0 on Friday against then-No. 6 Florida. They bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Kentucky on Sunday.
Offensively, the Aggies have one of the most powerful attacks in the country, ranking in the top 25 in scoring offense and points. Their 31 goals and 87 points lead the SEC. Senior Shea Groom tops the league and is tied for seventh in the country with 11 goals. Coupled with fellow senior Kelly Monogue’s eight goals, the Aggies have the most potent scoring tandem in the league.
WINS UP
Vanderbilt already has more wins than it had all of last season. The Commodores needed just eight games to win five this fall. Last year, they finished the season 4-12-3 and entered league play 3-3-2. One more win will give Vanderbilt its most wins since the 2011 season when the team went 8-11.
‘DORES SOLID AT HOME
Protecting the house, indeed. The Commodores are an impressive 4-1-1 at home this year. On Sunday, they suffered their first home loss, a 1-0 setback to Alabama. But they won their first four games before tying Auburn on Friday. The four wins are the most at home since 2011. The Commodores last started a season 4-0 at home in 2009.
STOUT FIRST HALF D’
Vanderbilt has allowed just one goal in the first half this year. Through the first 12 games, the Commodores were the only team in the SEC not to give up a first-half goal.
Missouri ended that streak with a goal in the first 24 seconds of the game. Still, Vanderbilt has allowed just one goal against 83 first-half shots this season.
SHOOTING FRENZY
Vanderbilt put up some numbers that hadn’t been seen in a while when it blanked Chattanooga 6-0 on Sunday, Sept. 14.
The 47 shots were nearly double the Commodores’ previous season-high of 25 against Mercer and the most since Sept. 15, 2005 when they fired off 47 shots in a 1-0 win over Morehead State. In addition, sophomore forward Simone Charley’s 10 shots against the Mocs tied for the second most in a single game.
CIARROCCA BREAKS OUT
Freshman Colby Ciarrocca has emerged as a scoring threat, leading the team with five goals. Ciarrocca was named the SEC Freshman of the Week and the Tennessee Sportswriters Association’s Player of the Week on Sept. 2.
The Montgomery, N.J., native was honored after she scored her first two career goals, including the game-winning goal, in a 3-2 overtime win against Cincinnati on Aug. 29. Two days later, at Memphis, she scored twice more in a 2-1 win. She scored her fifth goal of the season against Chattanooga on Sept. 14.
Ciarrocca has made four starts, most recently on Sunday against Missouri, and is just one of two freshmen to play in all 13 games, along with goalkeeper Christiana Ogunsami.
OGUNSAMI NEAR TOP OF SEC CHARTS
It hasn’t taken Christiana Ogunsami long to rise to the top of the SEC charts. The freshman goalkeeper from Cherry Hill, N.J., leads the league in saves (69) and saves per game (5.31) and is third in save percentage (.812). The 5-foot-11 Ogunsami has started all 13 games, made a career-high nine saves against Auburn and has posted three shutouts.
