NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 1/1 Vanderbilt capped off an unbeaten regular season with a 3-0 win over No. 10/15 South Carolina on Sunday afternoon.
The Commodores (16-0-1, 9-0-1 SEC) are just the second team since the beginning of SEC soccer in 1993 to go through an entire regular season without a loss (South Carolina, 2016). Their 16 wins is tied for the fourth-most in a season in school history.
Courtney Jones opened the scoring in the 13th minute from the penalty spot, her seventh goal of the season. The match hung in the balance for a large part of the second half, and Alexa Gianoplus made a huge save in the 60th minute to keep the Dores level.
The incessant Vanderbilt attack struck again twice in 92 seconds, both off of corner kicks. Margo Matula scored her fifth goal of the year with a thumping right-foot finish in the 73rd minute, and Lydia Ungashick headed home service from Melania Fullerton for her third of the season.
It’s the seventh shutout in 10 matches for Gianoplus and company, besting last season’s SEC figure of six. The eight total shutouts for Gianoplus’ career put her tied for ninth in school history.
Vanderbilt will enjoy a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament, which will kick off next Sunday. They will play the winner of Texas and Mississippi State in the quarterfinals on November 10 at 4:30 p.m. CT.