Nov. 3, 2009
Game Notes|Photo Gallery from Orange Beach | Blog
Setting the Scene
Vanderbilt takes four-game winning streak to Orange Beach for SEC Tournament
The Vanderbilt soccer team will take its four-game winning streak to Orange Beach, Ala., this week for its first SEC Tournament appearance since 2006. The seventh-seeded Commodores will face-off against the No. 2 seeded LSU Tigers in Wednesday’s opening round. The two teams needed overtime to decide the winner of its only regular season meeting with the Tigers coming away with a 2-1 win on Oct. 11 in Nashville. Vanderbilt’s Nicole Lukens and Megan Forester are the lone Commodores that have played at the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach as VU returns to postseason for the first time in three years.
Polls (NSCAA-â€Ë†National Soccer Coaches Association) (ST- Soccer Times) (SA- Soccer America) (TD- Top Drawer Soccer)
LSU is ranked No. 16 by the NSCAA; 18th by Soccer Times; 19th by Soccer America; 26th by Top Drawer. LSU is 22nd in the latest NCAA RPI.
Vanderbilt is not ranked in the national polls. VU is ranked No. 7 in the NSCAA South Regional Rankings (10/27/09). Vanderbilt is No. 46 in the latest NCAA RPI.
SEC Tournament History
Vanderbilt is making its 14th appearance at the SEC Tournament this week as they return to the conference tournament for the first time since 2006. The Commodores have advanced to the SEC Tournament championship game four times and won back-to-back titles in 1993 and 1994. VU is 11-9-1 all-time at the SEC Tournament and has hosted the event twice (1993 and 1999). VU has now played in 14 of the 17 conference tournaments.
All-Time SEC Tournament Results (11-9-1)
2006 (Orange Beach, Ala.) First Round: South Carolina 1, Vanderbilt 1 (PKs)
2005 (Orange Beach, Ala.) Semifinals: Tennessee 0, Vanderbilt 0
First Round: Vanderbilt 2, Georgia 0
2004 (Orange Beach, Ala.) Semifinals: Tennessee 1, Vanderbilt 0
First Round: Vanderbilt 1, Mississippi State 0
2003 (Orange Beach, Ala.) First Round: Florida 3, Vanderbilt 1
2001 (Baton Rouge, La.) First Round: Florida 4, Vanderbilt 0
2000 (Athens, Ga.) Semifinals: Georgia 2, Vanderbilt 1
First Round: Vanderbilt 2, Tennessee 0
1999 (Nashville, Tenn.) Semifinals: Florida 3, Vanderbilt 0
First Round: Vanderbilt 2, South Carolina 1 (OT)
1998 (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) Championship: Florida 2, Vanderbilt 0
Semifinals: Vanderbilt 1, Alabama 0
First Round: Vanderbilt 3, LSU 0
1997 (Gainesville, Fla.) Championship: Florida 4, Vanderbilt 2
Semifinals: Vanderbilt 3, Kentucky 2
First Round: Vanderbilt 8, Arkansas 3
1996 (Lexington, Ky.) First Round: Arkansas 0, Vanderbilt 0 (OT)
1995 (Auburn, Ala.) First Round: Kentucky 1, Vanderbilt 0
1994 (Fayetteville, Ark) Championship: Vanderbilt 4, Auburn 0
First Round: Vanderbilt 3, Arkansas 0
1993 (Nashville, Tenn.) Championship: Vanderbilt 3, Arkansas 2
First Round: Vanderbilt 2, Kentucky 1
Series History with LSU
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series with LSU 9-4-2. The Tigers have won the last three meetings. VU won the first four meetings between the Tigers a combined 21-0, including a 6-0 win over LSU in the school’s first meeting in 1995. The Commodores last win against LSU came on September 25, 2005 when VU shutout the Tigers 2-0 in Nashville. VU won seven of the first nine meetings but has since lost three straight in the series. Vanderbilt has faced LSU only once in the SEC Tournament, posting a 3-0 win over the Tigers in the first round of 1998 tournament.
All-Time Results (LSU vs. Vanderbilt)
October 11, 2009 LSU 2, Vanderbilt 1 (OT) Nashville
October 17, 2008 LSU 1, Vanderbilt 0 Baton Rouge
October 19, 2007 LSU 2, Vanderbilt 0 Nashville
September 22, 2006 Vanderbilt 0, LSU 0 Baton Rouge
September 25, 2005 Vanderbilt 2, LSU 0 Nashville
September 26, 2004 Vanderbilt 3, LSU 2 (2OT) Baton Rouge
October 5, 2003 Vanderbilt 1, LSU 0 Nashville
October 25, 2002 Vanderbilt 1, LSU 1 (2OT) Baton Rouge
October 22, 2000 LSU 1, Vanderbilt 0 Nashville
October 22, 1999 Vanderbilt 5, LSU 0 Baton Rouge
November 5, 1998* Vanderbilt 3, LSU 0 Tuscaloosa, Ala.
October 24, 1997 Vanderbilt 7, LSU 0 Nashville
October 22, 1995 Vanderbilt 6, LSU 0 Nashville
* at SECâ€Ë†Tournament.
VU Under Coach Woodard
VU’s Ronnie Woodard is 94-86-29 in 11 years as a collegiate head coach. Woodard is 79-65-26 in nine years as Vanderbilt’s head coach. She is 3-3-2 against LSU as VU’s head coach.
2009 Marks Most Wins Since 2005
VU’s 11 wins is the most wins in a season since Vanderbilt won 16 games in 2005. The Commodores five conference wins during the regular season is also the most SEC wins since the `Dores won six conference games in 2006.
VU Takes Four-Game Winning Streak to Orange Beach
Vanderbilt’s current four game conference winning streak is the best since opening league play in 2005 with a 5-0 mark. More impressively, the four consecutive wins in conference play have all come by shutouts. The four straight shutout wins is also the most clean sheets since the 5-0 start in conference play back in 2005.
Strong Start to 2009 Season
Vanderbilt started the season 6-1-1 for the second consecutive season. The 6-1-1 mark is the best start to the season under Head Coach Ronnie Woodard since the `Dores started the 2005 season 11-1.
Woodard Family welcomes new addition to Vanderbilt Soccer Family
Head Coach Ronnie Woodard gave birth to Thomas Woodard IV on August 29, 2009. Coach Woodard coached the Commodores to a victory on Friday, the 28th and than gave birth the following day. Woodard returned to the sideline four days after giving birth to her first child. Baby Thomas will be cheering on the Commodores from the stands in Orange Beach this week as he made the trip with the team.
Vanderbilt enters the Top-25 Ranking for first time since 2006
Vanderbilt entered the Soccer America Top-25 poll for the first time in three years (2006) when the Commodores came in at No. 25 in the Sept. 8 Soccer America poll.
Bachtel Having Strong Junior Year
VU goalkeeper Rachel Bachtel recorded her seventh shutout of the year in Vanderbilt regular season finale in a 2-0 win over Kentucky on Oct. 31. Bachtel has recorded four straight shutouts heading into the conference tournament and now has 16 career shutouts, ranking third in school history. The Dublin, Ohio native was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26. Bachtel was also named to Soccer America Team of the Week on Oct. 17.
Forester, Kinsella, Stewart Named to All-SEC Teams
Senior Megan Forester, junior Molly Kinsella and freshman Chelsea Stewart earned All-Southeastern Conference honors as voted by the coaches and released by the league office. Forester, a Hendersonville, Tenn., native, picked up first-team honors while Kinsella, a Memphis, Tenn., native, earned second-team plaudits. Stewart, a Highlands Ranch, Colo., native was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. It marked the first time in her four-year career that Forester had received all-conference honors while Kinsella picked up league honors for the third straight year. She was named to All-Freshmen team in 2007 and was a first-team all-league pick a year ago. The junior midfielder led the team in scoring her first two years in Nashville and did so again in 2009 with six goals and a career-high eight assists (20 points). Forester added two goals and a career best seven assists during the regular season, ranking second on the team. Stewart started in 17 of the team’s 19 games, missing time due to a minor concussion suffered during the Georgia contest on Oct. 4. The highly-touted freshman had three goals and an assist during the regular season.
Kinsella Named to CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team
Junior Molly Kinsella was one of four soccer players from the SEC to garner first-team academic all-district honors from CoSIDA and ESPN the Magazine. It marked the second consecutive year that Kinsella was named to the District IV first-team. The Memphis, Tenn., native has now received academic honors in all three years and is now eligible to become the first academic all-american since Sarah Dennis and Tyler Griffin.
Stewart, Lukens earn Individual plaudits in September
Chelsea Stewart and Nicole Lukens were named to Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week during non-conference season. Stewart earned honors on Sept. 8 after scoring the game winning goals against Oklahoma and Belmont while Lukens was named to the Sept. 21 National Team of the Week after scoring two goals and adding an assist in a 3-0 win over UT-Martin on Sept. 18.
Freshman class making immediate impact
Vanderbilt’s most recent recruiting class is already paying dividends on the field in 2009 as all seven of Vanderbilt’s true freshman have made an immediate impact to the program. Midfielders Chelsea Stewart, CJ Rhoades, and Margaux Andrews have seen a lot of minutes while defender Amanda Essay has played in 15 games.
Trio Lead Offensive Attack During Non-Conference Season
Lukens, Stewart and Molly Kinsella lead offensive attack for the Commodores during the non-conference season. Lukens leads the team in goals with five; Molly Kinsella leads the team in points with 15, (four goals, seven assist) and Chelsea Stewart is third on the team in points with seven (three goals, one assist).
Freshman Stewart Takes Game Overseas; Beijing Summer Olympics
Freshman Chelsea Stewart spent the 2008-09 season competing for the Canadian National U-20 Team at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The Highlands Ranch, Colo. had 17 caps and two goals for the Canadians while participating in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. She won a gold medal at the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championships in Puebla, Mexico.
`Dores Picked Fifth in SEC East in Preseason Poll
Vanderbilt was picked to finish in fifth place in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Confernece Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Florida was picked as the favorite to claim the 2009 SEC women’s soccer title after winning it in 2008.
Live Stats/TV
Check www.vucommodores.com for live stats and updated information on the Vanderbilt Soccer team throughout the season. A live webcast of Wednesday’s game with LSU will be offered on www.vucommodores.com, courtesy of secsports.com. Live stats of the game will also be available on secsports.com and vucommodores.com.
