Vanderbilt Soccer remains undefeated six matches into the season following last week’s contests against Kansas and Middle Tennessee. The Commodores drew the Jayhawks 0-0 on Thursday night. They handily defeated the Blue Raiders on Sunday in a 3-0 rout as Rachel Deresky and Caroline Betts each finished the game with three goals or assists. After two more shutouts, goalie Sara Wojdelko now has five clean sheets on the season through six games played.
In their last game before conference play begins, the ‘Dores will clash against Eastern Kentucky who hold a 3-3-1 record through the opening portion of 2024. After starting the season on a three-game skid, the Colonels have picked it up in their last four, scoring seven goals compared to just one in the first three. The Commodores will need to put an end to their hot streak in order to remain undefeated heading into conference play.
Scoring frenzy
Through its six competitions in 2024, Vanderbilt Soccer has scored 15 goals, an impressive tally considering some of the opponents they have faced. This equates to two and a half goals per game compared to Eastern Kentucky’s average of just over one goal per game. Vanderbilt will need to keep up its scoring frenzy to win this week’s match against EKU.
Sydney Watts and Betts are tied for the team lead in goals, with three apiece heading into Thursday night’s bout. Courtney Jones, Addie Porter and Deresky also all have two goals this season. The diversified scoring attack from the Commodores will hopefully allow them to take advantage of the Colonels’ starting keeper, Marah Krick, who has let up eight goals in six games played.
On the other side of the pitch, Eastern Kentucky boasts an impressive forward duo of Ella Grode and Ana Manning. Both have scored two goals and assisted twice in the past five matches. Midfielder Maddy Murphy has also netted multiple goals this season despite spending only the 12th-most total time on the field. Vanderbilt’s defense will certainly have its hands full attempting to slow down the Colonels’ red-hot attack that is coming off of back-to-back wins against Northern Kentucky and Youngstown State.
Scoring will be something to watch on both sides, particularly for the home side, as the Commodores often struggle to net points against better teams. In matches against Georgetown and Kansas, the ‘Dores failed to score despite having seven shots in each game. Vanderbilt will need to be more clinical in the box during Thursday’s contest to come away with a victory.
Brick wall on defense
Possibly the most impressive statistic of Vanderbilt’s 2024 campaign is that it has only conceded one goal, which came in a 4-1 romp of Saint Mary’s back on Aug. 25. Despite facing eight shots per game, senior goalkeeper Wojdelko has refused to let anything past her. With a 91.7% save percentage through six games, Wojdelko has been a force to be reckoned with.
While Wojdelko’s performances have been impressive, the Commodores’ five clean sheets are largely due to their defense. Alex Wagner and Jessica Hinton, who have started every game this season, are enormous contributors to the opposing teams’ lack of goals. First-year defenders Mary Beth McLaughlin and Ava Slay have also been instrumental as substitutes in shutting down adversarial attacks.
Eastern Kentucky, on the other hand, has had quite the opposite experience. The Colonels have scored 8 goals in their first 7 games while allowing 10 goals from opposing teams. Despite this seemingly weak team stat, they have been increasingly effective as the season has developed. In the two games it played last week, Eastern Kentucky put together a cumulative four-to-one ratio of goals scored to goals allowed. Its improved attacking play, coupled with stronger defensive performance as of late, will make this matchup especially intriguing to watch.
Boosts from the Bench
Betts, the team’s joint leading scorer in 2024, has only started half of the games she’s played in. Jones, who has also scored multiple times in her six matches played, only started in four. Melania Fullerton and Nyela Calnek have each added a goal contribution despite not starting any contest thus far. The common theme here is that Vanderbilt has seen immense success using substitutes. Head coach Darren Ambrose has made a clear effort to give his younger players time on the pitch, and his efforts have paid off, paving the way to a 4-0-2 record on the season.
The same cannot necessarily be said about Eastern Kentucky. Through seven games, head coach Matt Cosinuke has stuck with the same lineup, more or less. While he has utilized substitutes, their impacts have not been as clear as some of Vanderbilt’s have, at least not on the box score. Kylie Fitzgerald, Gretta Gunn, Peyton Smith and Lauren Link have all played significant minutes this season, even though they have only started a combined five games. Undoubtedly, they have a positive effect on the game, but having zero goals and only one assist among the four of them is not much to show for it.
Thursday night’s competition should be a fun watch for both teams’ fans. Each side wields strong players across the pitch, from the attackers back to the goalkeeper. Will the ‘Dores stay undefeated heading into conference play, or will the Colonels continue their four-game unbeaten streak? The answer remains to be seen.
The Commodores will host Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. CDT on Sept. 12 for their sixth consecutive home game and final match before SEC play begins.
