| vs. Southern Illinois (0-2-1) | vs. No. 23 Pepperdine (3-1-0) |
|---|---|
| Thursday, Sept. 2 • 7 p.m. | Sunday, Sept. 5 • 1 p.m. |
| Nashville, Tennessee | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Watch: SEC Network+ | Watch: SEC Network+ |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Game Notes | Game Notes |
At a Glance
- The Vanderbilt soccer team continues nonconference action with home games versus Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. Thursday and versus No. 23 Pepperdine at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex.
- The Commodores are 1-1-1 at home this season and 1-2-1 overall.
- Vandy has never faced Southern Illinois and is 1-0 in the all-time series versus Pepperdine, having defeated the then-No. 22 Waves by a 1-0 final score on Sept. 1, 2019 in Malibu, California.
Game Promotions
- Southern Illinois game: World Cup Night – sign up at the Fan HQ Tent for a chance to participate for the Mini Olympics during halftime. Dollar dog night – $1 hot dogs. Kids’ Korner – Poster making station, sidewalk chalk, activities, etc.
- Pepperdine game: National cheese pizza day – Free Slim & Huskies cheese pizza for the first 150 fans, plus the next 150 fans receive Slim & Huskies gift cards. Post-match autographs with the entire team. Sunday Sundaes – Arrive early for free ice cream & toppings bar. Kids’ Zone – Inflatables, balloon animals, sidewalk chalk, poster making station, coloring contest and more.
Last Time Out
- Vanderbilt fell in a pair of close matches versus Western Kentucky and No. 5 Duke last week.
- In a 3-2 overtime defeat at Western Kentucky, Raegan Kelley and Abi Brighton found the back of the net.
- Hosting the No. 5 Blue Devils, the Dores battled all day, eventually yielding goals in the 53rd and 64th minutes in a 2-0 loss.
Rankings
- Pepperdine is ranked No. 23 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
- Vandy went 4-2-1 versus top 25 opponents last season and is 0-1 against ranked opponents this season.
Statistical Leaders
- Goals: Abi Brighton – 2
- Assists: Three players tied – 1
- Points: Abi Brighton – 4
- Shots: Peyton Cutshall – 15
- Saves: Kate Devine – 11
Preseason Honors
- Vanderbilt was picked fourth in the SEC Preseason Poll – voted on by the conference’s 14 head coaches.
- Abi Brighton, Maddie Elwell, Madiya Harriott, Raegan Kelley and Ella Shamburger were named to the SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List.
The Schedule
- The 2021 fall schedule includes 18 regular season games.
- A total of 10 regular season games will be played at home in Nashville.
- The Commodores have eight nonconference games before the gauntlet that is the SEC portion of their schedule.
Head Coach Darren Ambrose
- Now in his seventh season leading Vanderbilt soccer, Darren Ambrose has guided one of the best runs in program history.
- The Dores have amassed a 71-41-12 record and 33-20-7 SEC mark during his tenure.
- Fourteen of those wins are over ranked opponents, meaning Ambrose has guided the program to 14 of its 22 wins over ranked teams.
- To date, Vanderbilt has four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament, an SEC regular season championship (2018), a tournament championship (2020) and an SEC East Division championship (2019) under his leadership.
Up Next
- The Commodores close nonconference play with a Sept. 9 road test at Lipscomb and a Sept. 12 home matchup with Middle Tennessee.
