LEXINGTON, Ky. – Behind goals from freshman Kelli Hubly and junior Natalie Horner, coupled with spectacular goalkeeping from Derby City native Kayla King, the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team (5-0-0) knocked off No. 12 Louisville (4-1-0) on the road 2-0 in a dramatic, thrilling rivalry game at Cardinal Park Friday night in the opening game of the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky.
“I learned that we have an incredible amount of passion,” UK head coach Jon Lipsitz said. “Not just for the game of soccer, who we want to be on and off the field, but for one another. We talk about you never know who is going to be the one. You look at someone like Kayla King who got herself fit, and found out who she wanted to be. She made a decision to be a great soccer player,” Lipsitz said.
The Wildcats and Cardinals played a physical first half that saw UK record multiple scoring chances. The best chance to break open the scoring was in the 35th minute when junior Caitlin Landis turned and faced at the top of the 18, shook the defender and fired a low missile that ricocheted off the right piping and sailed wide.
In the opening half alone, UK connected for 11 shots with two of them recorded on goal, as well as three corner kicks.
In the 57th minute, Hubly had a shot from about 15 yards out that needed a keepers touch to be pushed over the top of the bar to elude the goal. Hubly was re-firing a ball in off of a corner kick from the far side that fell to herfeet that was saved. Just two minutes later, Cara Ledman fired from distance after a beautiful feed from Arin Gilliland and the ball just went wide.
UK took a 1-0 lead in the 60th minute when Natalie Horner struck gold on a setpiece for the third time this year. The Krohn to Horner connection has beendeadly lately, as the tandem has combined to score three goals in three games, including two game-winners.
In the 71st minute, King came up absolutely monumental after a shot from Charlyn Corral was headed for the net but was deflected over the top of the bar by King at the last chance. The junior from the Derby City came up huge for the Cats, charting six saves.
No save may have been bigger on the night for the hometown kid than in the 79th minute when a penalty kick was stopped by King. The PK was the first penalty attempt that UK has faced all season.
The Wildcats struck again in transition, just a minute after the stopped PK when Gilliland played a perfect ball in from 35 yards out to a running Hubly, who struck the ball past the keeper and in for a goal. The run came from the far side and the shot was placed perfectly in the near post. The goal was Hubly’s first-career goal, and also marked the first point of the young season for Gilliland.
The win over No. 12 Louisville was the first win over a ranked opponent for UK since the Cats took down No. 14 Tennessee on Oct. 14, 2011. The Wildcats under Lipsitz have won four games against ranked teams in his four years at the helm.
UK will next take on Samford Sunday in the closing day of the Cardinal Classicwith the game scheduled to start at Noon ET.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
