Oct. 29, 2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn. â€â€ Vanderbilt will close out its regular season this Friday as Kentucky comes to the VU Soccer Complex for a 7 p.m. tilt.
The Commodores, winners of three straight, are 10-7-1 overall and 4-6 in Southeastern Conference action. A win or tie over the Wildcats would ensure a spot in next week’s conference tourney in Orange Beach, Ala.
VU is currently in eighth place in the standings, with Alabama the lone team behind the Commodores that hasn’t been eliminated from contention. The Crimson Tide (6-9-1, 2-6-1 SEC) have two games remaining on their schedule and would need to win both (hosts Auburn, at Ole Miss) this weekend and have UK beat the Commodores on Friday to gain the eighth and final spot in next week’s field.
Kentucky is 5-9-4 overall and 2-7-1 in SEC play after losing to Ole Miss (4-1) and Mississippi State (2-0) last weekend. The Wildcats, under first-year head coach Jon Lipsitz, have played their opponents tough all year, with five of their losses by one goal. UK handed SEC West division leader LSU its first league loss of the year, 1-0, on Oct. 9 in Lexington. Junior Giuleana Lopez leads the team in scoring with three goals and three assists (nine points).
Prior to Friday’s contest, two seniors will be recognized in their final home games: Megan Forester and Lindsay Ratterman.
Forester has played in 71 games in her Commodore career entering the UK game including 61 starts. She has two goals with seven assists on the season and is the team’s representative on the SEC Community Service Team.
Ratterman has battled through injuries throughout her collegiate career and has missed the entire 2009 season due to an injury suffered in the preseason. A two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient she finishes with four goals scored in 35 games, including 18 starts.
Senior Night festivities will start at 6:50 p.m., and the team will also recognize the annual Lee Elia 110 Award winner at halftime. The award is named after the father of Kate Elia, Vanderbilt Class of 2000 and a former Commodore soccer player and team captain.
The 110 Award recognizes the one player, voted by her teammates, who puts in the extra effort to be the best player she can be and who continuously strives to work for the betterment of her team, modeling Mr. Elia’s own work ethic as a collegiate basketball athlete.
