No. 2/1 Vanderbilt draws at Georgia in SEC opener
ATHENS, Ga. – No. 2/1 Vanderbilt soccer had to come from behind on Thursday evening at Turner Soccer Complex, finding a second-half equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw at Georgia.
The Commodores take a point from the opening fixture of conference play, moving to 7-0-1 on the year. Megan Hinnenkamp scored the Dores’ lone goal in her first start, marking three consecutive games on the scoresheet.
Georgia (3-2-3) took advantage of their extra three days of rest, starting on the front foot and turning it into a goal from Honoka Hamano in the 15th minute. Eight minutes later, an Olivia Stafford pass sent Vicky Pugh in on goal, and she was fouled on the edge of the penalty area by goalkeeper Jordan Brown. After penalty review, Brown was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity, but the foul was determined to be outside the penalty area, and the Bulldogs held on to their 1-0 lead into halftime.
It was all Vanderbilt out of the break, outshooting the hosts 12-2 in the half and 20-8 overall. In the 55th minute, Hinnenkamp got on the end of a ball from Stafford and promptly finished it into the bottom left corner.
The Dores chased the equalizer for the final half hour, but substitute keeper Hannah Folliard made five saves, including a crucial one in the 90th minute to stymie Vanderbilt’s final chance.
After three games in seven days, Vanderbilt will be off until next Friday, Sept. 18, when they take on Texas A&M at home at 8 p.m.
