DENTON - With two evenly-matched teams, it was going to come down to a great goal, and that's what happened. Midway through the second half, junior midfielder Molly Grisham one-timed a ball just outside the 18-yard box into the upper right-hand corner of the goal to give the North Texas soccer team a 1-0 victory against Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon at the Mean Green Soccer Complex.

"It was a hard-fought game against a good SEC team," said North Texas head coach John Hedlund. "I can see how Vanderbilt had those two impressive wins against Cincinnati and Memphis. They were well-coached. I could not have asked for more from my team."

North Texas outshot the Commodores in the game, but Vanderbilt held the edge in time of possession. The visitors, however, were unable to penetrate the Mean Green defense, which recorded its fourth shutout in five games.

The Commodores had their two best opportunities at the start of the second half but one shot went wide and the other went high. Goalkeeper Jackie Kerestine was forced to make only four saves, but controlled her box against eight Vanderbilt corner kicks, including two right at the end of the game.

Kaylah Hunter helped set up the goal for the Mean Green. She brought down a 50-50 ball right outside the 18-yard box, fought off a Commodores defender, and Grisham was right there to record her second goal of the season.

"I had a feeling it was going in," said Grisham about her goal. "This is the first goal that I scored with my feet. All my other goals have been with my head."

" It was an unbelievable goal," said Hedlund about Grisham's goal. "We needed that. They had a good goalkeeper but not many keepers are going to be able to get to that shot."

The defense had to buckle down after the goal, holding off the Commodores who had five shots on goal in the last 20 minutes of the game.