The Commodores continue Southeastern Conference play looking to extend their eight-game winning streak.
NASHVILLE – The Commodores continue Southeastern Conference play looking to extend their eight-game winning streak when they face Alabama on Thursday.
The matchup with Alabama (6-3-1, 0-1) is set for Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CT at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex. On Sunday, the Commodores (8-1, 1-0) travel to Missouri (4-4-1, 1-0) on Sunday for a 1 p.m. start time at Audrey J. Walton Soccer Stadium. Both games can be viewed on SEC Network+.
The Dores’ eight-game winning streak has seen them post five shutouts, outscore their opponents, 20-3, and trail just once. The Dores have also won seven straight at home, dating back to last season.
Vanderbilt is coming off a 2-1 victory against Florida, the program’s first win against the Gators since 1997. The Dores got off to an early lead in the game when Kaylann Boyd sent a shot from 30 yards out for her fifth goal of the season.
“The second half of that game we changed some things,” head coach Darren Ambrose said. “The girls made adjustments and fought really hard. That was something I was really proud of. I was really impressed with the response after we did give up a goal.”
The Commodores allowed a game-tying goal in the 78th minute, but they would come back when it mattered most. Caroline Saltmarsh sent a header right to Paola Ellis in the box with no defenders in sight and from there Ellis did the rest to take a 2-1 lead in the 88th minute.
Ellis earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for her game-winning goal.
“She’s got her own style when we play,” Ambrose said. “She makes very good decisions. She’s a very unpredictable player for defenders to mark.”
Boyd and Haley Hopkins sit atop the team’s lead in goals with five apiece, and Leila Azari still leads the team in assists with four.
Many Commodores rank among the SEC leaders in several categories, but Lauren Demarchi sits alone in first place in save percentage (.947).
The Dores last played Alabama in 2016, and the last victory for the Dores over Alabama came in 2010 with a 2-0 win in Nashville. Alabama is coming off a 1-0 victory against DePaul, but it did fall to Ole Miss in its conference opener, 1-0.
Missouri began its conference slate with a 1-0 win against Kentucky. The Tigers face off at Georgia on Thursday before hosting the Dores.
