A sudden death, overtime goal to beat your archrival? That's a pretty good way to get your first conference win.
Junior forward Molly Kinsella scored with 4:55 left in the first overtime for the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Tennessee in front of over 1,600 fans at the VU Soccer Complex Friday night.
"After 90 minutes you've worked too hard to get out with a tie," Kinsella said. "Going 0-2 last week, we really needed this one."
The Commodores (7-3-1, 1-2) were out-shot throughout regulation, but junior goalie Rachel Bachtel hung tough in getting her third solo shutout of the year. Overall, Vanderbilt earned its fifth shutout of the season.
On the winning goal, sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Lillie got possession and found Kinsella behind the defense, where she slipped the ball past Tennessee goalie Molly Baird into the left corner.
"It was a quick transition," Kinsella said. "We played it and I ran behind the defender. I don't really know, the goalie came out really hard. I don't know how it went in but it did."
It did indeed, and it set off a wild celebration amongst the Commodores, relieved to have gotten over the hump after a frustrating two-game stretch last weekend.
"We brought the fun back into it," said Vanderbilt coach Ronnie Woodard. "No matter how you win these days, a win is a win, and it's quality."
Vanderbilt next hosts Georgia on Sunday at 2 p.m.
