NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 22: Head Coach Darren Ambrose of Vanderbilt Soccer pregame against Belmont at Vanderbilt Soccer/Lacrosse Complex on August 22, 2024. (Photo by Photo by Vanderbilt Athletics/University Images via Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe Vanderbilt Commodores started the 2026 season with a win that left a bitter taste in Coach Darren Ambroses mouth according to his post-game interview. He used the words sluggish, lethargic, and choreographed to describe the performance. Coach Ambrose harped on being proud and happy with the victory, but he kept focusing on different flaws in the performance. If you saw my comments during and after the match, I am proud to say Coach and I are on the same wavelength.The pushback that I got was that it was just game 1. It was. I am not panicking. My predictions for the season have not changed. My thoughts about the talent on the team have not changed, except for some concern about one particular position. Armas in goal was not very convincing. Again, it was match 1. I am not going to react too strongly yet.The Commodores had plenty of possession and tons of shot attempts. They spent more than a third of the match (35%) in possession in the attacking half. Attempting 21 shots but with only 7 on target is where the sharpness and intensity that Ambrose found lacking came into play. They generated 11 corners yet did not score off one. Conversely, SMU was able to turn 21% attacking possession and 8 shot attempts into 4 shots on target and 3 goals. Granted, 1 goal for the Mustangs was a cross that deflected off Grace Freemans leg in a truly unfortunate moment where Armas was diving out to claim the cross.The number of players used is really intriguing to me. Typically, Coach Ambrose has gone deep into the bench early in seasons. It normally is paired down to 14 to 16 by the time SEC play starts, but early season matches often see 20 or more players. The tightness of the match and dissatisfaction with the performance may have been why the starters played more as they tried to work out the kinks.Courtney Jones, Olivia Stafford, and Sydney Watts all have 4 shot attempts and a goal is not particularly surprising. I would have expected Pentz to get off more shots, but she had the early goal on her only attempt. I do not think Fullerton at CAM and Pentz at striker beside Watts is the best lineup for this squad based on natural inclinations of the players and how that effects spacing.The back line of Matula, McLaughlin, and Freeman also has some issues to work out with how they balance each others movement and pressure. Lena Tusche being the only freshman to get on the pitch was a bit surprising. I did not expect her to play out wide either, but it may just be a case of how locked down the central midfield roles are. She looked pretty useful out there.Of special note, Coach Darren Ambrose had an extra reason to celebrate a match he was not particularly pleased with. Coach Ambrose is now the winningest head coach in Vanderbilt womens soccer history. He passed Ken McDonal, who headed the program from 1989 to 1998, by getting win #127. McDonald did reach 126 in 27 fewer matches, but comparing their tenures is a bit like comparing Dan McGugin to a modern Vanderbilt football coach. The SEC was not a highly competitive soccer league in the early days of womens soccer, and the Dores were one of the conferences top teams in that era but could never compete nationally.The chance to build on his record total comes tonight at 7 PM Central from the Vanderbilt Soccer/Lacrosse Complex. In-state but uncommon foe ETSU is coming to Nashville for the third clash all-time. The previous two matches were Commodore wins. The first meeting was a 3-0 Vanderbilt victory in Johnson City in 2008. The Buccaneers then got romped 6-0 in Nashville in 2022.The Bucs were 9-4-6 (4-1-4 in the Southern Conference) in 2025. They lost 2-1 to Mercer in the first round of the SoCon Tournament after finishing third in the conference. Unfortunately, their opening match of the season against North Alabama was canceled due to field conditions after heavy rains.The Buccaneers are poised for an improvement on last season with 80% (20 of 25) of their goals and 63% (15 of 24) of their assists returning. The main danger is likely to come from Regan Fitzgerald, Ava Duffey, and Jada Cooper. Fitzgerald started all 19 matches as a forward and scored 9 goals with 5 assists. Cooper started 13 matches but played in all 19, and she maximized her minutes with 4 goals and 4 assists. Duffey only started 10 times but did appear in all 19 contests. She also was efficient and scored 3 times.The back line has 2 returning starters in Ella Parker (19 games started and 1,582 minutes played) and Caroline Wawak (9 GS and 1,165 MIN). Parker started the season at right back then got pushed to center back by injuries with Wawak backfilling her at RB. McKlain Jones did also start 6 matches.Thankfully for them, ETSU does have an impressive young goalkeeper. Addison Yelton spent a year each at Ole Miss and Tennessee. She had started 3 games as freshman at Ole Miss before not playing at all for Tennessee. She led the SoCon and ranked 58th nationally in goals against average at 0.841, which was the 4th best mark by an ETSU goalkeeper ever. She also went 483 minutes without allowing a goal in late August and early September.Looking at the roster and what they return from a season ago, ETSU looks like a strong contender in the SoCon. They should not be a tough test for the Commodores. I suspect there will be an immediate intensity from Vanderbilt after incurring Coach Ambroses frustrations from the SMU match. Continuing to look disconnected for large stretches, both in attack and defense, would be a real concern. I also do understand the irony of saying that after scoring 4 goals, but moments of individual brilliance aided by poor defending are not good process for a team that wants to compete at the upper echelons of the sport.Tonights match will be preceded by Senior Night festivities along with an autograph signing by Nashville SC defender Maxwell Woledzi fresh off a big win over Inter Miami FC and Lionel Messi last night. Tickets can be purchased for $10, or you can still get a season ticket for $50, which is now $5.55 per match since you missed match 1. If you cannot make it to West End to see the action in person, the match will be streamed on SECN+/ESPN+.