Nov. 4, 2011
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Kentucky men’s soccer team got goals from senior C.J. Tappel and sophomore Tyler Riggs and despite playing a man down the majority of the match, the Wildcats held on for a thrilling 2-2 double-overtime tie on a chilly Friday night at Stone Stadium.
Kentucky (9-9-2, 2-5-1 Conference USA) wrapped up its 2011 season with the game at South Carolina. The Wildcats avoided the first back-to-back losing season in program history with the draw, falling just short of its 15th double-digit winning season in program annals.
The game came against a South Carolina team that needed a win or a tie to clinch the C-USA regular-season championship. UK finished the conference slate with nine points, missing the league tournament – for the first time in its eight years as a member – by only one point to SMU.
UK got on the board in the 22nd minute, as Ryan Costen secured a loose ball in the midfield and found Tappel streaking down the far sideline. Tappel lofted a gorgeous strike at the near post from about 25 yards out at the corner of the 18-yard box, sailing past a leaping keeper for his third goal of the year. Costen notched his first career point with the assist, missing the majority of his 2010 season due to injury and playing in 12 games off the bench in 2011.
South Carolina (9-6-2, 6-1-1 C-USA) got on the board in the 47th minute, taking advantage of a long ball punted into the wind and over the UK backline. South Carolina goalkeeper Alex Long punted the ball into the wind gust and Mike Mangotic headed it past the keeper into the net. The goal was Mangotic’s second of the year and Long’s first assist.
The Wildcats answered in the 75th minute, as Dylan Asher found Tyler Riggs with a great touch inside the box. Riggs fired a hard-hit shot past the face of the goal and into the net at the far post. The goal was Riggs’ 11th goal of the season and Asher got his third assist of the year.
South Carolina evened up the game after UK had a man sent off due to a card. In the 83rd minute, Mangotic fired a goal past a diving keeper for his second goal of the game.
UK back-up keeper Jack Van Arsdale got the start, in place of Tyler Beadle, and he turned in three saves in 110 minutes, his first action since Sept. 4. Van Arsdale saved a crucial penalty-kick in the second half, the first penalty save of his career. South Carolina keeper Alex Long saved three in the game, including a free-kick chance inches from the 18-yard box of Steven Perinovic in overtime.
South Carolina owned an 18-15 shot advantage in the game and a staggering 19-0 mark in corner kicks. UK played the majority of the game with only 10 men, after Tappel was sent off for his second yellow card in the game in the 77th minute.
UK played without the majority of its roster in the season finale, including All-America candidate Matt Lodge (7 goals, 10 assists), starting keeper Beadle (17 games played), midfielder Josh Mulvany (4 goals, 4 assists), forward Brendan Murphy (2 goals, 1 assist), midfielder Steve Cabos (1 goal, 2 assists), forward Jonathan Brown (1 assist), defender Brad Doliner and midfielder Gabriel Conelian. In addition, leading scorer Tyler Riggs was out of the starting lineup while nursing injury.
