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Commodores are No. 25; Buff Player of the Week 9/6/2005 One of the goals for the Vanderbilt women’s soccer team was to turn its hard work into results this season. It has not taken long to do so. The Commodores won both games over the weekend beating Francis Marion 9-0 and Washington St. 1-0 to move its record to 3-1-0. The result after posting their third consecutive shut out was some national attention as the Commodores earned their first national ranking coming in at No. 25 in the Soccer Buzz Magazine Top 30 National Poll this week. It is the first time that the Commodores have been ranked in the National Poll under head coach Ronnie Coveleskie Hill. “It is a true honor to be ranked in the National Top 30 by SoccerBuzz Magazine,” Hill said. This ranking is a true reflection of our girls’ commitment to our program this season. I am thrilled that they have received some recognition for all of their hard work.” The team also jumped up in the Central Region rankings to No. 4, also the highest it has been under Hill. WSU helped the Commodore rankings on Friday when it came back from down 2-0 to defeat then No. 23 Tennessee in overtime. Tennessee (0-3) fell out of the national rankings and dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 in the Central Region. The only other Southeastern Conference team in the Top 30 is No. 8 Florida (2-1). “We consider this ranking to be a first step for our program,” Hill said. “But we also understand the importance of continuing to improve our record as the year continues. While it is nice to be recognized for our effort, our job now is to continue to work hard to climb higher in future polls, and the way we will go about doing it is by continuing to work hard and taking one game at a time.” The Commodores are receiving some individual recognition as well. Junior defender Monica Buff (Lilburn, Ga.) was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Buff earned the honor after assisting on two goals against Francis Marion while helping to post two shutouts over the weekend. “Monica Buff is one of the best center backs in the Southeastern Conference,” Hill said. “The most impressive aspect of Monica’s game is her unbelievable competitive spirit. She is a tenacious defender who possesses a very controlled technical aspect to her game. She is a fantastic player and we are looking forward to her leading us to a potential SEC Championship.” Buff made key tackles that prevent opposing attackers from getting one-on-one opportunities on goal. Her hustle and skilled play earned her the first Player of the Week recognition for a VU player since Jen Talavera won the award in 2000. The Commodores will be back in action this weekend when they play at nearby Middle Tennessee St. Friday at 3:30 pm in Murfreesboro, Tenn. and on Sunday at 1 pm at Alabama Birmingham. |
