NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt midfielder Courtney Jones converted from the penalty spot with 90 seconds to play, securing a 4-3 victory for No. 5 Vanderbilt in a thrilling season opener against SMU.
The Commodores (1-0) never trailed but only led for 19 minutes total as the Mustangs (0-1) responded to every punch thrown. Reagan Pentz opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, but the visitors leveled in the 33rd minute through Brooke Bunton.
The best stretch of soccer for Vanderbilt came out of the halftime interval, and it paid off with goals from Olivia Stafford and Sydney Watts in the 48th and 54th minutes, respectively. Both forwards claimed an assist on the other’s goal, and the hosts held a 3-1 lead heading into the game’s final half-hour.
The Mustangs stormed back into the game with two goals in five minutes, a Vanderbilt own goal and a rocket from the top of the box by Kaia Samuelsen Elverum. Chasing a winning goal for 25 minutes, the Dores came agonizingly close multiple times, including a header from former Mustang Lydia Ungashick that caromed off the crossbar.
In the final two minutes, Jones was taken down inside the penalty area, and after a lengthy review process, the penalty was awarded to Vanderbilt. The senior midfielder calmly slotted the penalty into the bottom left corner to cap the seven-goal thriller.
Ungashick, senior transfer Megan Hinnenkamp, junior transfer Layla Armas and freshman Lena Tusche each made their Vanderbilt debuts, with Armas playing 90 minutes in net and logging two saves. The Dores outshot SMU, 21-8, but only found the frame on seven.
Vanderbilt will host ETSU on Sunday at 6 p.m. The seven seniors will be honored with a pregame ceremony at approximately 5:45 p.m.