Champion Women’s Soccer Player Could Make History
On Wednesday Vanderbilt University head coach Derek Mason announced the possibility of Vanderbilt Women's Soccer goalie, Sarah Fuller, being the team's field goal kicker in this Saturday's matchup against Missouri.
Fuller was a big part of the Vanderbilt Commodores' run to an SEC Championship this past Sunday in Orange Beach, Alabama. In an interview on 102.5 The Game in Nashville, Coach Mason said that a lot of the reason for the move is due to Covid-19.
The rule from the SEC is that each team must have 53 scholarship players in order to field a team. However, this doesn't include a kicker. Vanderbilt has had kicking trouble all season long. The Commodores are 3-7 on field goals this season, which is the worst kicking percentage in the SEC.
Vanderbilt's student newspaper title, "The Vanderbilt Hustler," reported on Tuesday that Fuller has been practicing with the team. Coach Mason spoke on her kicking ability and what he has seen on the practice field.
"I've seen her kick in practice. And I saw her off the team kick a couple field goals. I just wanted to see how strong her leg was. I can tell you, she has a strong leg. We'll see what that yields in terms of distances and where we're at. I'm not even talking about that now," Mason said. "It's day to day to go evaluate where she is. Like I said, Sarah is an option. she seems to be a pretty good option. We'll see what that looks like on Saturday."
Should Fuller actually attempt a kick this weekend, she would be the first female to play in a Power Five football game. She would also be on a very short list of women who have played in a Division I FBS game. Former Colorado and New Mexico kicker Katie Hnida was the first female player to score points in a Division I FBS game when she kicked two extra points for the Lobos in 2003.
Vanderbilt will be on the road this Saturday to take on the Missouri Tigers. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network at 11 a.m.