NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Rice scored three goals in the first half of play, which proved to be too much for the Commodores as they fell by a score of 3-2, Sunday night. Vanderbilt slides to 1-2-1 on the year, while Rice picks up their first win of the 2013 campaign and sits at 1-1-1.
Vanderbilt put pressure on the Rice goalie from the opening whistle, sending in nine shots in just the first 25 minutes of play. Simone Charley and Cheyna Williams each had chances in the early going but couldn’t quite finish. They finished with five and six shots, respectively on the night.
Down 3-0 early in the second half the Commodores flipped the switch. They closed out the final 40 minutes of play allowing only one shot and corner kick, while picking up nine and five, respectively of their own.
The first Vanderbilt goal of the night came in the 72nd minute when Krystina Iordanou sent a missile into the box off a free kick. The shot appeared to trickle past the Rice keeper but all doubt was set aside when Claire Romaine came in and put the ball into the back of the net.
The second and final goal for the Commodores also came off a free kick this time off the foot of Erin Myers. Myers played the ball into the box where Iordanou jumped up and headed it into the upper left corner of the net.
Rice held off the Commodore attack in the early going before staging one of the their own. Lauren Hughes picked up her first of two goals on the night for Rice in the 33rd minute, converting off a corner kick. It was only a matter of 10 minutes before Hughes got on the board again, this time getting fed into the box by Holly Hargreaves.
Freshman netminder Olivia Liebman had three saves on the night for the Commodores and took the loss.
Vanderbilt will get back to action next weekend as they travel to Madison, Wis., for a Friday evening matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers and a Sunday afternoon game with Milwaukee.
