VU downs Racers in second straight shutout

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —Two first half goals by senior Lydia Simmons and strong defense generated Vanderbilt’s third win of the season in a 4-0 shutout against the Murray State Racers.

With the 8-0 win over Jackson State and the Dores victory over MSU, Vanderbilt boasts back-to-back shutout wins. With Lea Waddle earning minutes in the second half, all 12 Vandy newcomers have now earning playing time.

“I thought we were very good today,” said head coach Darren Ambrose. “The team showed up and did the things we asked them to do. When we accomplished those things we opened Murray State up and made them chasers, which created some great chances for us and some nice goals.”

Maintaining possession for the majority of the first half, Vanderbilt netted three goals to leave the Murray State Racers in a deep hole. Playing like they did in the second half against FSU and matchup against Jackson State, once the Commodores claimed possession of the ball the team showed patience and made smart decisions.

The bread and butter of the 2016 team, Vandy’s defense made sure to man-mark leading MSU scorer, Harriet Withers, not allowing the Aussie a touch. By the end of the half, the Racers lacked a single shot, a feat due to the diligence of the defense, cutting off passes and making tackles.

Vandy’s three first half goals were all excellent shots. Absolutely drilling the ball into the net outside of the penalty box, redshirt junior Lydia Simmons, earned her first goal of the season for the initial blow.

Kaylann Boyd generated her second career goal for the 2-0 Commodore lead. A freshman-to-freshman connection, Hannon Eberts was credited with the assist as Boyd placed the ball directly in the center of the net.

Just before heading into the locker room, Simmons dribbled in and stuck the ball into the bottom left corner, solidifying an insurance goal for a 3-0 lead.

“Lydia was tremendous for us today. She had some time on the ball and created time for herself. When she puts her mind to it, Lydia is one of our best players. We’re just looking to get a little consistency from her. Today I think she also did a really good job defending and that’s the other part of the game that we focus on with her.”

Murray State came out of the locker room looking to cause chaos, as the squad’s level of physicality stepped up in the final 45 minutes. Placing a header on goal, Fahrner earned her first save of the outing in the 51st minute. The MSU offense had six additional attacks, but lacked the finishing quality necessary to level the game.

VU’s final goal of the night came from Jackie Welch, as Grace Jackson found the redshirt junior for her second assist of the night. Welch tapped the ball, letting is slowly roll into an abandoned goal for the 4-0 victory.

Looking towards Sunday, Vandy hosts San Francisco in the team’s final non-conference game before SEC play begins. With kickoff at noon, fans are invited to get to Sunday’s matinee early as we celebrate National Wildlife Day. Zoo animals will be in attendance from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm CT.