Davidson Scores First-Ever Win over Vanderbilt With 2-1 OT Victory

Friday, September 21

Charleston, S.C.

5 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

2-4-1

vs. Vanderbilt

3-3-0

OT 1

Vanderbilt

Davidson

Low tallied her second career game-winner to carry the Wildcats to victory.

Davidson Scores First-Ever Win over Vanderbilt With 2-1 OT Victory

9/21/2007 6:37:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

CHARLESTON, S.C. –– The Davidson women's soccer team opened up the College of Charleston Tournament in dramatic fashion with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Vanderbilt thanks to a header scored by sophomore Blakely Low (San Antonio, Texas) in the 98th minute on Friday at the College of Charleston soccer complex.

Davidson evened its record to 3-3 on the year and moved the all-time series mark against Vanderbilt to 1-3-1 with the program's first-ever win against the Commodores. The two teams had not faced each other since the 1993 campaign when the Wildcats dropped a 4-0 decision. Vandy fell to 2-4-1 on the year.

“What a performance by our team,” exclaimed head coach Greg Ashton. “It's a great win for the program and easily the best win I feel since I've been here. Our second-half performance was the best all year and it started with the determination of our three front-runners, who turned up the pressure on the Vandy defense.”

Low made all the hard work and determination pay off for the Wildcats at the 98:19 mark of overtime. Davidson drew a corner kick where senior Nancy Haskell (Blacksburg, Va.) was called on to take the kick. She sent a nicely placed ball into the six-yard box and Low raised above the Commodore defenders to take the ball in the air with a header to score the game-winning goal and the first score of the season for the sophomore.

“We started overtime very aggressive and we deserved every opportunity we got, which included the corner kick,” said Ashton. “Nancy, one of our senior tri-captains, took it upon herself to take charge from there. She sent a nice ball to the box off the kick where Low, who hustled all evening, hit a tremendous shot. I'm thrilled for Blakely and our team.”

The inspired play by Low and her teammates off the bench in the second half, started the pressure on the Commodores and helped Davidson tally its first score of the evening as well as the eventual game-winner.

Five minutes into the second half the pressure got to Vanderbilt. Sophomore Lauren Conner (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) sent a cross to fellow sophomore Kyri Bye-Nagel (Hanau, Germany), who fired in her team-leading third goal of the season to tie things up at 1-1.

Hannah Gonzales of Vanderbilt gave her team a 1-0 advantage in the first half. Gonzales found the back of the net off a free kick at the top of the 18-yard box where she went to the top left-corner of the goal.

Senior Bevin English (Charleston, S.C.), playing in front of her hometown crowd, registered six saves for her sixth straight game with five or more saves in a contest.

“English did a fabulous job on keeping command of crosses that entered her goal box and kept us in the game,” said Ashton.

Vanderbilt finished with a two-shot advantage, 12-10, in the game and had nine corner kicks to Davidson's three.

Davidson looks to carry the winning momentum into Sunday afternoon's contest when it faces unbeaten LSU (5-0-2), who was playing College of Charleston in the night cap of the tournament on Friday. Gametime is set for noon for the Wildcats vs. LSU game.

Scoring Summary
38:10   VU     Hannah Gonzales (unassisted)
50:21   DAV   Kyri Bye-Nagel (Lauren Conner)
61:27   DAV   Blakely Low (Nancy Haskell)

Notes: Davidson earned just its second in-season tournament win in the past four years ... Low's goal was the third of her career ... the Wildcats win against Vanderbilt was the program's third win against a SEC school.