Ohio Valley Conference

NASHVILLE - Tennessee Tech left it all out on the field. For the first half, they kept one of the nation's top offenses silent.

It was a vast departure from the first meeting between the two teams back in August and there was no doubt that the Golden Eagles had grown so much.

So while Tech saw its season end with a 2-0 loss to Vanderbilt on Friday night in the opening round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship, there were tears. It was expected, to be sure, but no one on the Golden Eagle bench hung their head.

They had accomplished so much and did something only one Tech women's soccer team had done before – reach the NCAA tournament and they were in the match.

Tech's defense continued its stingy play, compiling the fifth-longest scoreless streak in Ohio Valley Conference history, going 565 minutes and 43 seconds without allowing a goal. Vanderbilt put up six shots in the first half – and only two on goal – and it took to the 56th minute before the Commodores were on the board.

Courtney Jones scored her seventh goal of the season, collecting the tally off of a free kick.

Five minutes later, Vanderbilt scored again as Mary Beth McLaughlin picked up her first goal of the year. Her shot appeared to be saved by Maggie Conrad, but replay showed the ball landing inside the goal area. The video-assisted review confirmed the goal, putting Vanderbilt up 2-0.

The Commodores kept the ball on Tech's side of the field for a long time in the second half, creating 15 shots on Tech's two in the final 45 minutes.

Conrad played 82 minutes in the match, making six saves. Addison Johnson played the final eight minutes as head coach Corey Boyd made a wholesale substitution to give players the NCAA experience, making a late save.

In all, Vanderbilt had 21 total shots – nine on goal – with Sydney Watts and Vivian Akyirem each collecting four.

Tech put two shots together, Katie Toney on one and Tori Soutuyo on another on net.

The Golden Eagles end the season with a 7-7-8 record.