Vanderbilt earned its fourth consecutive shutout victory Friday night, defeating Kentucky 2-0 to clinch a spot in the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the first time since 2006.
The Commodores (11-7-1, 5-6 SEC) got second-half goals from sophomore Candace West at the 71-minute mark and freshman Margaux Andrews with just seconds remaining in the game to earn the victory.
"Our girls did a great job," said Vanderbilt coach Ronnie Woodard. "They battled hard and got the win."
Vanderbilt outshot the Wildcats 7-3 in the first half but came away empty, but the pressure continued in the second half and finally resulted in a score when West got control off a ricochet after a shot by junior Molly Kinsella and kicked it in for her second goal of the year.
Junior goalkeeper Rachel Bachtel earned her 10th shutout of the season, recording three saves on the rain-soaked evening at the VU Soccer Complex.
The Commodores will be the No. 7 seed in the SEC Tournament next week in Orange Beach, Ala., facing second-seeded LSU, who defeated Vanderbilt in overtime, 2-1, on Oct. 11 in Nashville.
That seems like a long time ago for a team that 's gone more than four games of action without giving up a goal.
"We are coming off our fourth win in a row and we're thrilled about it," Woodard said. "We know we have one more game that's guaranteed and we're looking forward to it."
