WKU Drops Non-Conference Finale at Vanderbilt, 2-0

Thursday, September 6

Nashville, Tenn.

7 P.M. CT

Western Kentucky University

2-3-2

Vanderbilt

6-1

WKU

Vanderbilt

9/6/2018 9:29:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Freshman goalkeeper Bailee Witt made a career-high eight saves as WKU concluded its 2018 non-conference slate with a 2-0 setback on the road at SEC foe Vanderbilt on Thursday evening at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex.

Though the Commodores found the back of the net once in each half, Witt shined on the night and kept the Lady Toppers in the match, with six of her eight saves coming in the first 45 minutes of play. Witt's eight saves were the most in a single match by a WKU goalkeeper since Allison Leone also had eight against Rice on Sept. 28, 2017.

Megan Morris, Sarah Gorham and Chandler Backes all had one shot apiece for the Lady Toppers (2-3-2), with Morris and Gorham putting their attempts on goal and testing Vanderbilt goalkeeper Lauren Demarchi in the first half.

Vanderbilt (6-1) held an 18-3 edge in shots on the evening and held WKU without a corner kick opportunity as the Commodores extending their winning streak to six matches.

In goal, Witt turned in her eight saves while playing the full 90 minutes for the Lady Toppers. For Vanderbilt, Demarchi and Taiana Tolleson each played a half, with Demarchi making a pair of saves in the first 45 minutes and earning the victory.

Two early saves from Witt in the opening 15 minutes kept Vanderbilt off the scoresheet, as the freshman stonewalled Elwell twice in a 10-minute span before the Commodores broke through for a goal in the 15th minute. Set up off a corner kick by Elwell, Welch found the back of the net at the far post to put the Commodores in front.

Three minutes later Witt made a strong pair of back-to-back saves against Welch and Haley Hopkins to maintain the one-goal differential at a critical moment. Later in the half, at the 37:44 mark, Gorham nearly pulled WKU level on a strong shot that could have been the equalizer, but Demarchi made the save to deny the redshirt senior.

Neither side could get anything going offensively in the final five minutes of the opening half, sending WKU into the locker room facing a one-goal deficit after the first 45 minutes.

In the second half, Vanderbilt's defense clamped down on the Lady Toppers, refusing to give much space to shoot for much of the 45 minutes and holding WKU without a shot in the frame. Witt again came up big for WKU, however, with two more saves in the second half to deny the high-powered Commodore attack.

Vanderbilt reached the final scoreline with its second goal of the night in the 76th minute. Elwell found space after a short dribble into the box and lofted a shot into the top center of the goal to give the Commodores a 2-0 lead. WKU pushed up and battled hard down the stretch, but was unable to break through the stout Vanderbilt defense over the final 10 minutes.

With WKU's non-conference slate in the books after Thursday's bout, the Lady Toppers will open their 2018 C-USA schedule next Sunday, Sept. 16, as they head south to take on Southern Miss at 1 p.m. Now in Year 5 as a member of the conference, WKU will be meeting the Golden Eagles for the fourth time and has an unbeaten record in the series, holding a 2-0-1 edge. In the most recent meeting on Sept. 21, 2017, last season, the Lady Toppers and Golden Eagles battled to a 0-0 draw after 110 minutes in Hattiesburg, Miss.