Soccer vs Kennesaw State

Vanderbilt had their first loss of the spring preseason when they fell 2-1 to Racing Louisville FC. The visiting professionals found goals to end the first half (43^rd minute) and start the second half (48^th minute). The Commodores had struggled to find their footing and deservedly trailed. Sarah Fuller was called into action repeatedly and made 7 saves in the first half. No details were given as to whether she played the full game or if Sophie Guilmette or Kate Devine replaced her for the 2^nd half.

Darren Ambrose’s squad did make enough changes to claw their way into the match. Raegan Kelley got Vanderbilt on the board by scoring in the 67^th minute. Her goal was not the first golden opportunity for Vanderbilt, nor was it the last. Unfortunately, the hosts could not finish off their other chances and had to settle for a one-goal loss in their final exhibition. Performing so well against a professional side is certainly encouraging for the spring season.

Vanderbilt will play 4 competitive matches before the NCAA Tournament starts on April 30^th. The Commodores earned the SEC’s automatic bid by winning the SEC Tournament in the fall. They will be using these 4 matches to prepare themselves and earn seeding. They will open that slate today at 3 PM Central when Kennesaw State comes to West End. Vanderbilt will also host Lipscomb on March 21^st and Memphis on March 27^th with both matches played at 6 PM. The final match will be a trip to Duke on April 11^th at 1 PM.

The Kennesaw State Owls did not play in the fall and are 2-5 (1-2) in the spring. They won 1-0 at Jacksonville State on February 12^th, lost 5-0 at Auburn on February 19^th, lost 1-0 at Mercer on February 21^st, lost 2-1 at Georgia on February 25^th, lost 4-0 at Lipscomb on February 28^th, lost 1-0 hosting Liberty on March 4^th, and won 1-0 at Bellarmine. The three goals scored in 7 matches have been scored by 3 different players. Kameron Downs, Erin Harris, and Kendall Higgs have all tallied once. None of the goals have been credited as being assisted.

If you need a reminder of Vanderbilt’s most impactful players, forward Haley Hopkins led the way in goalscoring with 5 tallies in 11 appearances (9 starts) while bothered by an injury. Attacking midfielder Raegan Kelley had 4 goals over 12 starts and scored a single goal in each of the final 3 games of the SEC tournament. Leila Azari was very impactful creating goals from her position on the right of midfield as she led the team with 5 assists. On the opposite flank, Madison Elwell was kept more in check with only 2 goals and 1 assist, but she is a very dangerous player for the opposition. Defensively, seniors Madiya Harriot and Myra Konte typically flank standout junior Ella Shamburger as a formidable trio. The defenders and Fuller behind them held teams to 1.17 goals per game from 8.4 shots per game.

Today’s game will be streamed on the SEC Network+ at 3 PM, so you can switch right over after the basketball game this afternoon.