No. 11 Vanderbilt Soccer seems to be picking right up where it left off last season after two dominating shutout wins over Austin Peay and Louisville to open the year. Now, the ‘Dores will hit the road just one day after the start of classes to face two formidable in-state opponents in Tennessee Tech (Aug. 21) and Memphis (Aug. 24).
With the ‘Dores having already scored nine goals across two matches, the team is reloaded with goal-hungry scorers anchored by a talented and reliable defense. If Vanderbilt can continue to piece together wins, it would come back to West End with a 4-0 record, besting last year’s start of 3-0-1.
One step at a time
On paper, Vanderbilt should be heavily favored against Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles have yet to notch a win, falling to Lipscomb, 2-0, and South Alabama, 2-0. This means that Tennessee Tech is hungry to get a win. Vanderbilt is the only Power Four opponent that the Golden Eagles will face this year, and a win for them could boost their NCAA Tournament resume come November. In turn, a loss for Vanderbilt could dampen momentum as it heads into a showdown with Memphis later in the week.
Head coach Darren Ambrose’s squad needs to anticipate Tennessee Tech’s hunger to get a win and make sure they stay a step ahead of it. Possessing the ball well and tactfully building up the offense will be crucial for the Commodores.
Jones anchors the middle
Vanderbilt was anchored by a familiar face in the midfield for several years — Abi Brighton. She controlled the pace of the game and the attack flawlessly in the middle with her smooth connections and deft skill work. Brighton has now moved on from Vanderbilt, but junior Courtney Jones has risen to the challenge as the team’s anchor in the middle this year.
She has already knotted two goals in the first two games, both of which came off penalty kicks. Her gritty play through the middle is what makes Vanderbilt’s possession-oriented attack work so well — she simply refuses to turn over the ball. Her leg strength is impressive, with many of her shots and goals coming from the top of or outside of the box. This makes her a nightmare to defend, which will come in handy against a very good Memphis defense that has allowed just two goals and has a win over an SEC team.
Battle of the first-years
It’s not very often that one of the key actors in a game will be a first-year player on either team. That will be just the case in Vanderbilt’s matchup against Memphis.
On the Commodores’ side, Reagan Pentz has been stellar so far this year. The Ohio native got her first start against Austin Peay and quickly turned heads when she posted three assists. Since then, she has remained in the starting lineup, providing both an offensive and defensive spark. Ellis Kelly has been equally impressive for the Tigers, scoring just five minutes into her first appearance to earn American Conference Freshman of the Week honors.
With both Pentz and Kelly primarily playing on the left side, the two will likely not be matched up against each other. However, the performance of the two will be something to keep an eye on, as they will be difference makers for their respective teams.
Vanderbilt faces Tennessee Tech on Aug. 21 at 6:30 pm CDT before playing at Memphis on Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. CDT. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
