In their final match of the season, the Vanderbilt Commodores exited the Plex with a 3-1 victory over Alabama. Despite minimal action in the first half, the Commodores sparked an electric second frame to finish their last bout at home strong.
“I think for our seniors and for this large group of upper class I’ve got, I’m just happy for them and I’m proud of them,” said head coach Darren Ambrose after the game. “They’ve always bought in, they’ve bled for the program and they give everything they’ve got. It’s always nice to win [but] winning on the last game on your home field in front of a lot of people is just satisfying.”
The Commodores started aggressive, pushing their two outside defenders to act as pseudo-wingers. This strategy paid dividends, as right back Jessica Hinton flew down the sideline past a defender for a cross to Rachel Deresky early, but her touch landed just right of the net for a goal kick. Vanderbilt would follow that play up with two more opportunities off crosses in the first ten minutes, both ending unsuccessfully but promising.
The next ten minutes saw only three shots — two from Alabama and one from Vanderbilt — but none were on target. Both teams made a priority to getting the ball down the wings a priority, but very rarely did the ball end up inside the 18-yard box. Alabama finally earned a corner kick at the 18-minute mark but the ball was immediately swallowed by Vanderbilt goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko.
The Commodores were the next to threaten. Ella Eggleston’s breakaway was interrupted by a poor touch, causing four defenders to surround her and take the ball away. A few possessions later, senior Francesca Yanchuck shot from outside the 18-yard box. The ball dribbled to Alabama’s goalkeeper, Ellie Lanyi, who recorded the first save of the game on either side.
Vanderbilt closed out the half with a corner kick opportunity, but it sailed well over everyone’s heads before going out of bounds as time expired. Both sides entered the locker room at the break with the scoreboard showing 0-0. Alabama led the shots battle 5-3, but Yanchuck’s shot was the only one on goal.
Alabama changed the tide early in the second half. With numbers on the counterattack in the 47th minute, Kiley Kukan found an unchecked Gianna Paul on the right side of the field. Paul took a touch and rifled a shot into the bottom left corner for a score, earning Alabama a 1-0 lead. The goal marked Paul’s 12th of the season, more than double anyone else on the Crimson Tide.
Vanderbilt didn’t go away quietly. Less than four minutes later, Eggelston went racing after a through ball but could not get past the line of defense. Her pressure was enough to force a backward pass to Lanyi, who took a heavy touch as Eggelston came in, stole the ball, and placed in the top-right corner for the goal, evening the score at 1-1.
“[Eggleston’s] just a hunter,” Ambrose said. “She’s a warrior, she’s dangerous… and I thought today she was super dynamic and just work[ed] her tail off, but that’s what defines who she is.”
Vanderbilt kept the gas on, feeding off the energy of its first goal. The team recorded four shots in the next ten minutes, including a free kick and a header off a corner kick that both sailed just over the crossbar. Eggelston, herself almost poured in her second goal in the 66th minute — shooting a laser into the bottom right corner that was caught by a diving Lanyi. — She threatened again in the 68th minute — as a loose ball found inside the 6-yard box found its way to her feet but was once again saved by Lanyi.
In the 74th minute, Courtney Jones got into a scramble, forcing her and a pair of Alabama defenders to fall to the ground. Trying to work quickly with her still on the ground, the Crimson Tide went to advance the ball. Jones stuck her leg out and was hit by a passed ball, forcing her to leave the game with an injury. She was later assessed a yellow card after a video review of the altercation.
Vanderbilt kept the energy up despite the demoralizing penalty. After all its missed chances in the first half, the Commodores converted. Caroline Betts was left alone on the left side of the field as she shook off defenders and cut inside. She needled a shot past the teeth of the defense and into the bottom left corner of the net, putting Vanderbilt on top 2-1.
Jones’s injury didn’t derail her much, as she returned to the pitch in the 81st minute and made an immediate impact. Left wide open, she chased a lobbed through ball from Eggleston down the right sideline, went untouched for her fourth goal of the season, extending Vanderbilt’s lead to 3-1. The Commodores would hold strong for the final minutes of the game as they picked up their ninth win of the season going into the SEC playoffs.
“I didn’t expect to go back in, but I’m really happy I did,” Jones said. “When [Eggleston] played me that ball… I just felt like I needed to show up for my team in that moment.”
The win officially clinched the Commodores’ place in the SEC tournament. Though Vanderbilt’s regular season is over, the team will eagerly await the midweek slate of games to know its matchup in the SEC tournament.
