NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Vanderbilt jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the match against Belmont and recorded its third consecutive shutout in a 3-0 win Friday night at the VU Soccer Complex.
The Commodores remained undefeated and improved to 4-0 on the year while the Bruins fell to 1-2. Head coach Ronnie Woodard returned to the sidelines after having her son Thomas last Saturday and missing the Murray State match.
“It was great being back on the sidelines, but more importantly I want to give a lot of credit to Cristin (Czubik) and Eric (Vaughter) for the fantastic job they did in preparing this team tonight,” said Woodard. “Obviously I was absent all week with Thomas and they just did a wonderful job of running the program and getting them ready and they deserve full credit.”
Chelsea Stewart put Vanderbilt up 1-0 just five minutes into the game when she received a throw in from Molly Kinsella and booted in a goal from 25 yards out that bended past the Belmont goalkeeper.
Three minutes later Nicole Lukens took a perfect feed from Molly Kinsella off a ball from Margaux Andrews and scored right in front of the goal to make it 2-0.
Kinsella would later add a goal off a penalty kick caused by a handball foul by Belmont to make the score 3-0. She finished with a goal and two assists on the night.
“In my opinion Molly is the total package and she keeps getting better each time she steps on the field,” said Woodard. “She scored one goal tonight and was heavily involved in the flow of the match as well.”
The Commodores controlled the contest throughout, holding the Bruins to just two shots on goal and just six shots for the game.
“I think it is a collective effort, it starts with our forward and goes to our midfield and our backs and goalkeeper,” Woodard said when asked about the strong defensive efforts this year. “We’ve talked alot about having a different type of swagger and having a defensive mentality is big for a college team. It’s not just Rachel (Bachtel), it’s not just backs, it takes an entire team unit.”
Bachtel recorded her second solo shutout of the year and the 11th of her career, tying her with Lauren Whitt (1999-2002) for third all-time at Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt finished with 22 shots, including 10 on goal, with a 9-1 corner kick advantage. Stewart, Kinsella, Megan Forester and Madeline Danna each had two shots on goal to lead the Dores, while Lauren Paynter and Spencer Laufer each had had a shot on goal to lead the Bruins.
VU will close out its five-game homestand on Sunday as Oklahoma comes to town for a 1 p.m. tilt. The Sooners (4-0) played Miiddle Tennessee tonight in Murfreesboro.
“Anytime you go up against a team like Oklahoma, you have to expect their very best,” said Woodard. “The Big 12 is a wonderful conference and very competitive. We are looking forward to the challenge and I am expecting an exciting, very high intensity game on Sunday.”
