NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt soccer team played Missouri to a 1-1 draw, in what was a thrilling 110 minutes of soccer from the VU Soccer Complex.
Vanderbilt (3-6-3, 0-3-1 SEC) arguably had the biggest break of the game when Missouri’s penalty kick in the 101st minute glanced off the post and the shot off the rebound sailed high over the empty net.
Missouri (6-5-1, 2-1-1 SEC) got on the board first half, scoring after the opening kick. The ball was played into the box where Kaysie Clark received and attempted to turn and rip the ball at the net. The Vandy defense played the ball well and forced Clark to just clip the ball up in the air, where it floated over the head of the keeper Olivia Liebman and into the back of the net.
Vandy’s head coach Derek Greene would end up making a goalie swap just 5 minutes into the game, sending in redshirt sophomore Shannon Morrish. The decision would go on to pay dividends for the Commodores as Morrish came up with some big saves late in the game.
The ‘Dores knotted the game up in the 26th minute on a brilliant goal from Cheyna Williams. Williams took a throw from past mid-field and turned and took it towards the Mizzou net. The sophomore ran past nearly the entire Tiger defense before beating the keeper one-on-one from 15 yards out.
Williams’ goal was her 10th of the season. No Vandy soccer player has scored at least 10 goals in a season since Laura Koerner scored a school-record 19 in 1998.
Neither team was able to take control in the second half of play. Vandy took 12 shots in the half, putting two on goal, while Missouri took 10 shots and only putting one on net.
The first overtime was dominated by the Tigers. In the first 10 minutes of extra time Missouri took eight shots and three corners to Vandy’s two and zero.
After an onslaught of shots, Morrish made a game-saving play in the 98th minute, when she extended fully to her left and punched the ball out of play to keep the game alive.
The Tigers had another chance to put the game away when the refs called the Vandy defense for a foul inside their own 18.
Missouri’s Dominique Richardson took the PK and sent the ball to the bottom right corner, just out of the reach of the diving Morrish. Richardson’s shot was just too far as the ball rebounded off the post, right to the wide open Taylor Grant.
Grant couldn’t convert on the wide open net, sending the ball five feet over the top of the net.
The final whistle sounded with both teams deadlocked at one. In what played out to be an exciting and physical game of soccer.
The Commodores will be back in action on Sunday at 1:00 p.m., when they take on Kentucky. The game will once again be aired on Fox Sports South, with ESPN3 streaming the coverage on the web.
