STARKVILLE, Miss. — Goals by seniors Molly Kinsella and Nicole Adams led the Commodore women’s soccer team past Mississippi State, 2-0, Thursday night at MSU Soccer Field.
Molly Kinsella scored her fourth goal of the season in the 16th minute to give VU an early 1-0 advantage. She took a feed from twin sister Megan at the top of the 18 and scored into the top right corner.
Only six minutes later, Adams gave the Commodores an insurance goal. Megan Kinsella notched her second assist of the game (sixth of the season), crossing a ball in from the right which Adams headed in for her fourth of the year.
Senior goalkeeper Rachel Bachtel needed to make only three saves to notch her second straight shutout (her seventh this season). Bachtel, the Southeastern Conference’s reigning Defensive Player of the Week, has not allowed a goal in nearly 210 minutes.
The Commodores will return home for a Sunday matchup with Ole Miss. Vanderbilt will honor its nine-member senior class prior to the game’s 2 p.m. start time.
VU’s victory gives it 13 points in its last five games and a total of 14 points — good for fifth place in the current SEC standings. The Commodores need only a point on Sunday against Ole Miss to guarantee themselves a spot in the 2010 SEC Tournament, Nov. 3-7 in Orange Beach, Ala. The Rebels were 2-1 overtime winners against Kentucky on Thursday, to improve to ninth place in the conference.
Thursday Night’s SEC Scores
South Carolina 3, @ Arkansas 1
Florida 2, @ LSU 0
@ Ole Miss 2, Kentucky 1 (OT)
Georgia 3, @ Alabama 0
Tennessee 1, @ Auburn 0 (OT)
Vanderbilt 2, @ Mississippi State 0
