Sept. 25, 2014
Game Notes | Greene Interview | Inbusch Interview
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  A perfect home record will be on the line when the Vanderbilt soccer team welcomes in SEC foe Auburn on Friday night.
The Commodores are 4-0 at the VU Soccer/Lacrosse Complex this year and look to keep that mark unblemished when they host the Tigers in their SEC home opener. The game starts at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network +.
Fans are being encouraged to “blackout” the game by wearing black gear to cheer on the Commodores. All Vanderbilt students who attend the game will receive free Chick-fil-A and are encourage to head to the football stadium afterwards for a showing of the movie “22 Jump Street” at 8:30 p.m. Free popcorn and drinks will be provided.
Vanderbilt (5-4, 0-1 SEC) returns to Nashville after dropping the SEC opener to No. 24 Georgia, 3-1, on Sunday. Vanderbilt last defeated Auburn on Sept. 30, 2005, having gone 0-6-2 against the Tigers since. The Tigers lead the all-time series 9-6-3. Vanderbilt last defeated Auburn on Sept. 30, 2005, having gone 0-6-2 against the Tigers since then. Auburn (6-3, 0-1) was picked to finish 11th in the SEC coaches preseason poll.
After starting the season 5-1, Auburn has dropped two of three, including a 2-1 loss in overtime to South Carolina on Sunday in the SEC opener. The Tigers are led by a balanced attack with six players scoring multiple goals. Ellie Leek and Logan Beal lead the team with three goals apiece. Sophomore Alyse Scott has posted four shutouts and has made 18 saves in logging every minute in goal this season.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
On Sunday at 7 p.m., the Commodores will host Alabama (5-3-1, 0-1). The Crimson Tide, winners of three of four, shut out Alabama State 8-0 on Sunday, two days after losing their season opener to No. 7 Florida, 2-1. Alabama will play Tennessee on Friday before playing Vanderbilt for its third and fourth road games. The other two road contests were also in Tennessee, coming against Austin Peay and Middle Tennessee State.
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 11-4-4 but Alabama is 2-0-1 in the last three meetings. The Commodores last defeated the Tide 2-0 on Oct. 17, 2010. The Tide brings plenty of offensive firepower as they lead the SEC with 26 goals and 76 points. Laura Lee Smith leads the team with five goals and Theresa Diederich and Hailey Brohaugh each have four goals. Goalkeeper Emily Rusk has played in six of the 10 games, making 16 saves and posting two shutouts.
WINS UP
Already through ninegames, Vanderbilt has more wins than it had all of last season. The Commodores are 5-3 as they begin SEC play. Last year, they finished the season 4-12-3 and entered league play 3-3-2. One more win will give Vanderbilt its most wins since the 2011 season when the team went 8-11.
‘DORES PERFECT AT HOME
Protecting the house, indeed. The Commodores are an impressive 4-0 at home this year. They also won their lone exhibition game against UAB on Aug. 14. The four wins are the most at home since 2011. And the Commodores last started a season 4-0 at home in 2009.
STOUT FIRST HALF D’
Vanderbilt is the only team in the SEC that hasn’t allowed a goal in the first half this season. Through nine games, 50 shots have been fired against the Commodores in the opening 45 minutes but none have gotten past freshman goalkeeper Christiana Ogunsami and the Vanderbilt defense. No. 22 Georgia had been the only other team in the league to not allow a first-half goal, until Sunday when Vanderbilt sophomore Simone Charley scored in the seventh minute.
CIARROCCA’S BREAKOUT WEEKEND
Freshman Colby Ciarrocca has emerged as a scoring threat, leading the team with five goals. Ciarrocca was named the SEC Freshman of the Week and the Tennessee Sportswriters Association’s Player of the Week on Sept. 2. The Montgomery, N.J., native was honored after she scored her first two career goals, including the game-winning goal, in a 3-2 overtime win against Cincinnati on Aug. 29. Two days later, at Memphis, she scored twice more in a 2-1 win. She scored her fifth goal of the season against Chattanooga on Sept. 14.
OGUNSAMI NEAR TOP OF SEC CHARTS
It hasn’t taken Christiana Ogunsami long to rise to the top of the SEC charts. The freshman goalkeeper from Cherry Hill, N.J., ranks second in the league with 40 saves and is sixth in save percentage (.769). The 5-foot-11 Ogunsami has started all nine games, made a career-high seven saves twice and has posted two shutouts.
