Commodores Start Tournament Strong With 2–0 Win Over Alabama

In a tense quarterfinal at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex, No. 8 Vanderbilt stormed back to defeat No. 10 Alabama 2–1 and advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals. After falling behind on an early goal, the Commodores flipped the match in their favor when Alabama went down to 10 players.

Alabama struck first in the 12th minute on a finish by Nadia Ramadan, but the momentum shifted quickly. Less than two minutes later, goalkeeper Madi Munguia was sent off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, giving Vanderbilt a pivotal advantage.

Vanderbilt didn’t waste the extra space. Freshman Olivia Stafford fired in the equalizer off the ensuing set piece, making it 1–1. Then in the 50th minute, Reagan Pentz redirected a loose ball into the net after a scramble, putting the Commodores ahead for good.

From there, Vanderbilt leaned in defensively. The defense tightened, and goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko came up big, denying multiple Alabama attempts down the stretch to preserve the win. 

That gritty performance earned Vandy its spot in the semifinal, where they would face Georgia next.