Sept. 28, 2017
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt soccer team (7-3-1, 2-0-1) is back home this weekend, as they get ready for another SEC matchup as Missouri comes to West End Friday night.
The Dores are off to their best start in SEC play since the 2006 season but head coach Darren Ambrose stressed to the team that they need to be focused with their next game rather than looking ahead.
“It is not about how we start, it is about how we finish,” stated Ambrose. “It won’t mean anything if the next three games we don’t find results. So it is one game at a time, we don’t talk about opponents, just the one that is ahead of us. We are just trying to remind them about what got them to where they are.”
Last week, the Commodores had a home match with Arkansas before hitting the road to face Georgia to close out the weekend.
Thursday night, the Dores held the high-powered Arkansas offense off the board for 110 minutes of play but were unable to capitalize on their own and ended with a 0-0 draw. Sophomore goalkeeper Taiana Tolleson made her first career start in net and was a major piece in keeping the Razorbacks scoreless throughout the match.
On Sunday, the Dores broke through in the 40th minute when Stephanie Amack put home a penalty kick to give them the 1-0 lead. Georgia tied the game with a goal of their own in the 67th minute but the Dores did not panic.
In the 81st minute, Nia Dorsey possessed the ball at midfield and sent it up into the attacking third for Simone Charley as she made her run on goal. After her first touch, Charley passed it back towards the middle of the box where Rebecca Rossett beat two defenders and scored the game-winning goal.
The win improved the Dores to 2-0-1 in SEC play and 5-1 in road games this year.
Scouting Missouri:
The Tigers enter Friday’s match with a 5-6-1 overall record and a 1-2-0 mark in the SEC. They are coming off an 0-2 week in SEC play, losing on the road 3-1 to Mississippi State and at home 5-1 to Texas A&M.
Freshman forward Tess Rellihan leads the Tigers in goals (5) and points (11) on the season while sophomore forward Sarah Luebbert holds the team lead in assists (4). Kristen Rivers and Kelsey Dossey have spilt time in net for the Tigers, as both have appeared in 12 games. Rivers has made 25 saves, holds a 1.50 goals against average and a 2-2 record. Dossey has made 26 saves, holds a 1.71 goals against average and a 3-4-1 record.
The Commodores are 0-5-3 all-time against Missouri. The Tigers took last year’s matchup 2-1 in Columbia on Oct. 14. Kaylann Boyd would be the lone goal scorer for the Commodores that night.
Tomorrow’s match is set for a 6 pm kickoff at the VU Soccer Complex. Gates will open one hour prior to kickoff and tomorrow is Greek Night so all Greek organization members are encouraged to come out for tomorrow’s match. Admission to all Vanderbilt home soccer matches are free.