After suffering a 17-8 defeat to No. 16 James Madison on the road, the Commodores returned to West End and beat the Cincinnati Bearcats, 14-9. Their victory further elevated the already positive and festive atmosphere, especially on Senior Day. Today holds extra significance for the Vanderbilt Lacrosse community and the 12 student-athletes honored alongside their respective families. Goalie Paige Gunning earned her 600th career save in the second quarter, expanding Vanderbilt’s all-time career save record, a milestone she herself had set.
With the Bearcats scoring in the first 30 seconds and Vanderbilt junior Kemper Robinson quickly matching their pace, the game hinted at intensity, with each team vying for dominance on the scoresheet. After all, the stakes were high since the winner would clinch the fourth seed for the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament.
“We said that we would do a sixty-minute winning game for our seniors and we [somewhat] did it,” Robinson said.
The second quarter started 4-3, still in favor of Cincinnati, with graduating senior Brooke Baker adding her second point to Vanderbilt’s tally. Shortly after, Robinson would follow suit. Then, junior Molly Finlay scored man-up at 07:29 to tie the game at 5-5. The Commodores were mounting a comeback. The suspense could be felt in the bleachers as Robinson scooped up a ground ball, descended toward the Bearcats’ territory and then swiftly transferred the ball to Sammy Nuchow who passed it to Cate Bradley. Bradley put in her 17th goal of the season, the 6th on the Vanderbilt’s scoresheet.
The advantage the Commodores had gained was quickly nullified when Grace Jenny scored the Bearcats’ sixth goal. Despite Vanderbilt’s attempt to reclaim the lead in the final 30 seconds, the players passed the ball around and Ella Smith made a valiant effort to score, but her shot hit the crossbar at 00:00. She was unable to alter the outcome before halftime. Once again, the score was tied, and the fate of the game was uncertain.
The third quarter began well with midfielders Robinson and Smith raising the previous score by two within the first two minutes after halftime. Baker made a free position shot and scored her 34th goal of the season. Following that, Finlay scored her second point of the game, scoring man-up and assisted by midfielder Logan Risenhoover. The third quarter ended with Vanderbilt up 10-8.
The fourth quarter started with Risenhoover scoring her first goal of the match, bringing up the Commodores to an advantageous 11-8. The gap only widened from there: Nuchow, assisted by Finlay, added a 12th goal to Vanderbilt’s score. Again, Finlay would assist her teammate Alex Gladding who’d add another goal, her first of the match. Risenhoover was resolute to keep the gap as wide as it could therefore, she tallied the Commodores’ score at 14 within the last two minutes of the game.
“It’s just ‘a’ next game and with refining and the same grit that we’ve shown, we’re confident we will take on the challenges of the AAC,” Head Coach Beth Hewitt said.
Vanderbilt qualified for the AAC Tournament, which will be played in Nashville from May 2 to May 4.
