NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Commodores are readying themselves for the 2019 soccer season as the defending SEC champions.
Last fall, Vanderbilt enjoyed a storied season on West End, winning its first SEC regular season championship since 1994, its most games since 2015 and authoring a program record 13-game win streak during the season. Head coach Darren Ambrose garnered SEC Coach of the Year honors at season’s end.
Vanderbilt’s goalkeepers combined to post 10 shutouts in 2018, third most in a season in Vanderbilt history. Nine of those shutouts came during the team’s 16-game unbeaten streak.
Commodores goalkeepers allowed just 14 goals in the 2018 season, tying the second-best mark in program history set in 2006 and 1990. Vanderbilt returns all three goalkeepers from last season while adding one more for 2019.
Lauren Demarchi and Taiana Tolleson have combined to bring the Dores the 14th best goals against average in the nation!! #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/AsYUzPUthi
— Vanderbilt Soccer (@VandySoccer) September 13, 2018
The Goalkeepers
Vanderbilt’s lone returning captain, Lauren Demarchi, comes back for her senior season following an impressive junior year. After splitting playing time through the first 10 games, she became Vanderbilt’s primary starter and finished the remaining 11 games of the season.
SAVE!!! Lauren Demarchi shows off her skills on this incredible save in the first half!! #AnchorDown
📺 https://t.co/Udu8uk52iNUF: 0
VU: 0
12' pic.twitter.com/gsyAB3Y159— Vanderbilt Soccer (@VandySoccer) September 16, 2018
Demarchi’s 0.55 goals-against average found its way among Vanderbilt’s leaders as it ranked second all time for a season. Her goals-against average also ranked first in the SEC last season and 13th in the nation.
Haley Hopkins and Peyton Cutshall, we’re gonna let you finish but LAUREN DEMARCHI HAD THE PLAY OF THE GAME pic.twitter.com/Rj9vOm0gkV
— Vanderbilt Soccer (@VandySoccer) October 7, 2018
Demarchi was 13-3-1 in 2018 with five solo shutouts and five combined shutouts. She earned 2018 SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after holding South Carolina without a goal.
Taiana Tolleson also returns to the Commodores for her senior season after sharing the goalkeeper box with Demarchi for much of the 2018 season.
Tolleson combined to post a shutout in half of her appearances in 2018. Four of her five combined shutouts came in a row from Aug. 31-Spet. 9.
She also posted three wins for the second straight season.
Taiana Tolleson with the big save here early in the second half!!! #AnchorDown
Bama: 0
VU: 1
53' pic.twitter.com/bQX3jip1vw— Vanderbilt Soccer (@VandySoccer) September 21, 2018
Sarah Fuller made her Commodore debut in her sophomore season. She played the remaining 10 minutes of Vanderbilt’s 5-0 win over Georgia.
Fuller helped combine for the shutout in that game.
Vanderbilt will add one freshman goalkeeper in Sophie Guilmette, who brings a wealth of international experience. Guilmette was 15 years old when she played for the Canadian youth program in 2016. Guilmette started in goal for that team, which went on to become Quebec Cup Champion in 2016 and Canada Games Champion in 2017.
