Vanderbilt Soccer (3-0-1) returned to the pitch on Friday evening for its third straight home game against Columbia (0-1-1). The Commodores brought a two-game win streak into this matchup after convincingly beating Belmont and St. Mary’s to start their homestand. The Commodores ultimately cruised to another win, shutting out the Lions 3-0 and extending their win streak to three.
“Our girls did a really good job of executing the gameplan,” said assistant coach Casey Derkacz. “We wanted to defend them from the front, and we generated a lot of turnovers higher up the field. We did a good job of executing that [and we] also found things to take away and sure up.”
Through the first twenty minutes of the opening half, the Commodores dominated possession while simultaneously working the ball up the field. Despite this, Vanderbilt could not capitalize on its opportunities, and speed Lion attacks on the wing proved dangerous. One such Columbia breakaway in the 21st minute resulted in a handball right in front of the goal on Vanderbilt’s Hannah McLaughlin, but the ‘Dores were bailed out when Maia Tabion’s penalty kick hit off the left post.
The penalty kick seemed to wake up the Commodore offense, who promptly took the ball down the right side of the field. On that attack, Caroline Betts found the back of the net off a great cross from sophomore Sydney Watts. Vanderbilt’s offense continued to press on, and things got chippy between the two teams. After a Columbia defender illegally tackled Ella Eggleston, a yellow card was issued and a free kick awarded. It was sophomore Courtney Jones who stepped up to take the free kick, upon which she ripped a no-doubter to the top right corner of the goal.
“[Columbia] is one of the toughest teams we have played all season,” said Jones. “It was good to get our momentum going”
The first half whistle blew out, and both teams headed to their respective benches to re-hydrate, make tactical adjustments and gear up for the second period.
Vanderbilt once again set the tone on offense at the beginning of the second half, working Columbia’s defense and prodding for opportunities. In the 56th minute, the Commdores passed the ball around the outside of the box, seemingly looking to reset for another offensive opportunity. Jones had other plans, as she would strike again for a brace. The Orlando, Fla. native saw her shot and took it from way outside, netting it in the top left corner of the goal and leaving the crowd awe-struck.
Columbia, despite being down 3-0, was still relentless during its rare offensive opportunities. By the 73rd minute, the Lions actually led the Commodores in second-half shots (6) and corners (4). The Lions were particularly aggressive on corners, looking for a chance to get on the board, but Vanderbilt goalie Sarah Wojdelko’s length came in handy. The veteran, in search of her third shutout in four games of 2024, went over the top of the Lion offense to bring the ball back down and neutralize the threat.
Three goals were all the Commodores would need en route to shutting out a talented Columbia team that boasted the fourth-best record in the Ivy League in 2023.
“We have a lot of faith in [many] people to be able to really impact the game,” said Derkacz on the team’s depth. “Sometimes its not someones day, [but it’s] up to someone else to step up, and we can rely on our team to bring those moments and uplift us.”
Vanderbilt’s win marked its third in a row and kept it unbeaten on the season at 3-0-1. The Commodores will take the field again on Sept. 5, returning to the Plex and continuing their six-game homestand against Kansas. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. CDT.
