Sept. 26, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The UK women’s soccer team (6-4-0, 0-2-0 SEC) took a 1-0 lead, but then surrendered five unanswered goals, dropping a 5-1 match to the No. 21 South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2-2, 1-0-1).
It was the second straight loss at home for the Wildcats and after allowing no goals on their home pitch in non-conference play, UK surrendered seven in two matches over the weekend.
UK struck first on Kelsey Hunyadi’s fifth goal of the season in the 25th minute. Natalie Horner sent a ball in to Kelly Browning in the box who chipped a pass over a couple South Carolina defenders to Hunyadi, who only had USC goalie Mollie Patton to beat. Hunyadi pushed the ball under Patton, who dove to her left, inside the right post for the score.
South Carolina scored the equalizer in the 39th minute when Sam McGowan took a shot from 15 yards out and snuck it inside the post, just out of reach of a diving Sydney Hiance.
The teams entered the locker room tied at the half; however South Carolina came out on fire in the second half netting four goals in a span of eight minutes.
Kayla Grimsley was credited with the game-winner in the 52nd minute taking a cross and beating Hiance one-on-one with a shot to the upper 90 for the 2-1 lead.
The Gamecocks went on to add three more scores for the final 5-1 tally.
It was the largest margin of victory in the series since UK defeated USC 5-1 in 2000 and Kentucky’s worst defeat at home since a 5-1 loss to Nebraska in 1999.
The Wildcats hit the road for the first time in league play next weekend, taking on the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Lady Vols. It will be the first two of four straight on the road for Kentucky.
