Riding a three-game winning streak and undefeated at home, No. 13 Vanderbilt Soccer (6-1-1, 0-0-1) opened SEC play against LSU (5-3-1, 0-0-1) in Nashville on Friday. Despite a flurry of great scoring chances, the Black and Gold could not find the back of the net, tying the Tigers 0-0. 

First half 

An early foul by Ida Hermannsdottir awarded Vanderbilt its first free kick deep in its attacking half just 14 seconds into the game. Maci Teater’s ensuing shot was deflected out of harm’s way. Several minutes later, Teater rifled a shot from just outside the top-left corner of LSU’s penalty box, but Audur Scheving easily blocked it for her first save of the game. The Tigers countered the Commodores’ advance with pressure of their own, but the ‘Dores back line of Margot Matula, Hannah McLaughlin and Grace Freeman played stellar defense to defuse any chance of scoring.  

Fifteen minutes into the game, Courtney Jones shot a free kick deep into LSU’s box. The ball deflected off multiple players before Ally Bollig sailed it over the top goalpost. Three minutes later, Reagan Pentz stormed past LSU defenders and crossed a pass just outside of Sydney Watts’s reach.  

With the Commodores dominating time of possession, LSU applied pressure of its own. Kelsey Major skied a ball toward Sara Wojdelko’s left goalpost, and the graduate student tracked the ball down to make a jumping save. Minutes later, Wojdelko caught Sariyah Bailey’s shot to keep the game scoreless. 

The teams continued to exchange possessions with no real pressure on either net. Thirty-two minutes into the half, Jocelyn Ollivierre was given a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, earning Jones a free kick 15 feet outside of the LSU box. The Tigers’ wall skillfully blocked the junior’s shot, stifling the Black and Gold’s scoring opportunity.  

Lightning struck for Vanderbilt in the 38th minute — or so the crowd thought. Melania Fullerton chipped a ball to the feet of a sprinting Vicky Pugh, who shifted around a charging Scheving to bury the ball in LSU’s net. However, Pugh committed a foul during her advance, and the game remained tied.  

The 13th-ranked Commodores saw two more fantastic scoring opportunities in the 41st and 42nd minutes. First, Jones lasered a shot toward the upper-right corner of the net, but Scheving responded with a leaping one-arm save. Moments later, a corner kick found its way to two unmarked Vanderbilt players mere feet in front of Scheving. Again, the Black and Gold were unable to capitalize, with neither player able to get a touch on the ball. 

Play momentarily stopped when Pentz forcefully collided with an LSU defender, hitting the turf hard and needing a physical escort off the field. The scoreless half concluded shortly afterward. 

Second half 

LSU began the second half on the attack, executing numerous crosses deep inside Vanderbilt territory — all of which were deflected or cleared. Unmarked into the LSU box, Mary Beth McLaughlin responded with a soaring shot toward the Tigers’ top goalpost. Scheving, a stalwart in net, punched it away with her left hand. Moments later, Watts connected a pass to the feet of Teater, who shot a low rocket into a diving Scheving. Despite such a great look, the Commodores came up short again. 

LSU applied subtle pressure in the Commodores’ zone for several minutes before Vivian Akyriem raced the ball up the midfield and launched a shot at Scheving — who, yet again, made the save. Possession changes near midfield then repeated until Jones stormed down the left sideline and fired a short-angled shot at Scheving. The sure-handed Iceland native caught the ball for her sixth save of the game.  

With 20 minutes remaining, Teater deflected a ball to Watts, who blasted a shot into a wall of LSU defenders and out of play. Moments later, Pugh sailed a ball over LSU’s net. Both offenses continued to stall until Olivia Stafford crossed a pass into the chest of Watts, who directed the ball just wide of LSU’s left goalpost. 

The teams increased their physicality in the game’s waning moments, as Gabbi Ceballos recklessly tackled M.B. McLaughlin for a yellow card. Further review upgraded the penalty to a red card, putting Vanderbilt at a one-player advantage for the last seven minutes of the game.  

Vanderbilt’s closest scoring opportunity of the night came in the 84th minute, when Watts fired an airborne ball at Scheving less than five feet in front of the Tigers’ goal line. The stellar goaltender fully laid out to knock the shot to the corner. Using the red card to their advantage, the Black and Gold continued to apply heavy pressure in LSU’s zone. The Tigers didn’t falter, however, deflecting shots and passes until the buzzer sounded, ending the game in a 0-0 draw. 

Vanderbilt will head to Fayetteville to battle Arkansas on September 18th at 6:30 p.m. CDT.Â