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Alabama Tops Kentucky in Overtime 2-1
LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the
third-consecutive match the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team
(8-3-1, 3-2-1 SEC) was forced to play more than the normal time,
falling to Alabama (7-3-2, 2-2-2 SEC) 2-1 in one overtime session
Sunday afternoon.
“The biggest frustration is that I think if we would have done the
basics, today would have been a different game,” UK head coach Jon
Lipsitz said. “We had players that ran eight miles on Friday night, and
we needed to give them a break. When we give them a break, we have to
get better. That is something that has been a basic tenant of our
program in the past. That didn’t happen today.”
Cara Ledman recorded the game’s only tally for the Wildcats, as the
freshman scored her third goal of the season on a feed from the top of
the box from fellow freshman Courtney Raetzman. Ledman got the ball
wide on the wing and dribbled into the area before launching a shot
that struck the far post and bounced over the line for the goal.
Alabama controlled much of the possession and run of play, as the
Wildcats defense was forced to stop 12 Crimson Tide shots while UK just
recorded five on the afternoon.
The three-consecutive overtime games was the first time since the 1999
season that UK has played in three straight contests that went extra
time. In the last three games, UK is 1-1-1, with a win over LSU and a
draw against No. 6 Texas A&M on Friday night.
The loss was the Wildcats’ first of the season at home, snapping a 6-0-1 mark UK held prior to Sunday.
The game-winner for Alabama came in the fourth minute of the first
overtime as Pia Rijsdijk struck home from about 10 yards out as the
Tide forward shook a few defenders and flooded the goal past a diving
Kayla Price to the far side.
Kentucky will travel to Columbia, Mo., for the first time as a member
of the Southeastern Conference Friday night for an 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff
with the Tigers. Missouri came into Sunday’s action as the leader in
the SEC East. UK will then travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss
on Sunday afternoon.
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