In a highly competitive Southeastern Conference, unranked Texas soccer matched up against the No. 1 Vanderbilt Commodores. Tied with Georgia for seventh place in the conference, the Longhorns looked to improve their standing in the final stretch of the regular season.
The match began as it has for Texas all season, with each side trading back-and-forth attacks.
Senior Bayliss Flynn, Texas’ standout goalkeeper, and her offense faced an equally formidable opponent in Vanderbilt’s graduate goalkeeper, Alexa Gianoplus, who fended off two early shots by Texas sophomore forward Ava McDonald.
The balance was quickly shifted in favor of Vanderbilt, as senior midfielder Melania Fullerton sent a shot toward the top right of the goal, ultimately finding the back of the net, notching her first goal of the season to put the Commodores up 1-0.
The game’s tight nature first showed itself at the 24-minute mark, when a possession battle ended with Texas junior forward Alicia Riggins lightly shoving Vanderbilt sophomore forward Olivia Stafford. After an official review, Riggins received a yellow card, an outcome that seemed to add even more momentum to Vanderbilt’s attack.
McDonald, however, kept her foot on the gas. The only Longhorn to get a shot off in the first half, recording three total, launched a laser toward the right side of the goal, an attempt that banged off the post, inches from tying the game for the Longhorns.
In the final minutes of the first half, Vanderbilt was awarded a free kick after a foul by Texas sophomore forward Audrey Bryant on Commodore freshman midfielder Lena Tusche. From outside the penalty box, Tusche sent an arcing shot towards the goal. As each team crashed toward the ball, Vanderbilt junior midfielder Lydia Ungashick headed it over the hands of a diving Flynn and into the goal, putting the Commodores up 2-0.
At halftime, Vanderbilt appeared confident in its first half performance, and the Longhorns appeared eager to get back on the field.
Flynn was immediately put back to work as the second half began, fending off a shot in the 47th minute.
In the 55th minute, Bryant, who already had a foul on the night, was given Texas’ second yellow card of the night after a skirmish for possession with a Vanderbilt attacker.
Two minutes later, Vanderbilt pulled away further with a shot from the edge of the penalty box by standout freshman forward Mia Hebert, putting the Commodores up by three.
Flynn, in more 1familiar fashion, saved her seventh and eighth shots in the 64th minute, the second deflection allowing McDonald the chance to attempt a fast break towards the Commodore goal, an attack that was ultimately smothered by the Vanderbilt defense.
In the 72nd minute, Vanderbilt earned their fourth corner of the night, and the opportunity quickly turned into their fourth goal as a shot from senior defender Margo Matula slipped past Flynn after pinballing around the goal box.
The Longhorns, depleted offensively and defensively, couldn’t stop the bleeding and allowed yet another goal from senior forward Sydney Watts in the 76th minute, putting Vanderbilt up by an astonishing five goals.
With a 5-0 victory, Vanderbilt secured their title as Southeastern Conference regular-season champions.
After a defensive breakdown for the Longhorns, they will return to Austin for their final regular-season game against the Auburn Tigers in a must-win game for Texas.
