Oct. 29, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — After allowing a goal six seconds into the match, the Kentucky men’s soccer team netted a game-tying goal in the 22nd minute to tie traditional power Indiana – the No. 1 team in the latest NCAA-released RPI – 1-1 in a two-overtime thriller, on a bitterly cold night at Jerry Yeagley Field.
Kentucky (9-4-3, 5-1 Conference USA) entered the match trailing the all-time series with the Hoosiers, 1-14-1, with its last win coming in 1995 and its last draw coming in 2004 at the UK Soccer Complex. Mrco dos Santos’ netted the equalizer, his fourth goal of the year. The Wildcats, who have not lost in five straight games dating back to an Oct. 8 setback at No. 14 Tulsa, got seven game-saving saves from goalkeeper Dan Williams. UK trailed 20-14 in shots and 8-5 in corner kicks.
No. 14 Indiana (9-4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) had battled the Wildcats in four overtimes all-time entering Wednesday, with the Hoosiers holding a 1-3-1 advantage. IU, who has totaled a 249-31-26 mark at home all-time, entered the match riding a three-game winning streak. Before the game, the Hoosiers held a 9-0 advantage in 2008 when netting the first goal.
Twice this season, UK was tied 1-1 at halftime, with its last coming in Saturday’s win over FIU, when UK notched a golden-goal in the second overtime for the win. UK has lost only four times in 2008, with three losses coming at top-25 opponents on the road (No. 7 UC Santa Barbara, No. 24 Cal Poly and No. 14 Tulsa). UK has posted solid wins against No. 18 South Carolina and No. 13 Michigan, in addition to its draw in Bloomington.
The Wildcats would not quit after allowing the early goal, coming from behind for the fourth consecutive match to even up the game. In the 22nd minute, Chad Hagerty found himself open behind the Indiana defense, playing the ball back to dos Santos who finagled the ball past the keeper for the equalizer. The goal marked dos Santos’ fourth of the year and the assist Hagerty’s club-best fifth of the season. The goal was just UK’s first against Indiana in five years, dating back to a goal in 2003, a two-overtime loss in Bloomington and just its fifth goal at IU in program history.
Just six seconds into the match, IU struck for the goal, playing the ball to the right side of the pitch and finding a wide open Kevin Noschang for a quick, tone-setting goal. The goal marked the fastest goal in Indiana soccer history, eclipsing the previous mark of 11 seconds in a win over Butler earlier in the year – then the ninth fastest goal ever recorded in NCAA history. Reigning Soccer America National Team of the Week member, Andy Adlard notched the assist.
Brad Walker had a chance in the ninth minute, heading a shot off a Hagerty corner kick, forcing a save from the Hoosiers.
Dos Santos had a good chance in the 20th minute, as the Wildcats mobilized an attack and dos Santos fired a shot from 10 yards out that forced an alert save from the Hoosiers keeper.
In the 30th minute, off a Barry Rice free kick from just inside midfield, Taylor White – playing in his first game since Sept. 27 at UNC-Asheville due to injury – attempted a leaping header that was saved by the IU keeper.
UK forward Michael Strong displayed his speed in the 36th minute, forcing a corner kick that set up a long-shot attempt from Jason Griffiths.
Billy Weaver of IU had a good chance in the 41st, firing shot from the left side of the 18-yard box and forcing a save from Williams in the far corner of the net.
From about 40 yards out in the 43rd minute, Rice lofted a free kick that found the head of White, who leapt to make a shot attempt that sailed just high of the cross bar.
In the 54th minute, UK rallied with consecutive excellent opportunities, as Tyler Burns was passed the ball inside the 18-yard box, finding an open path to the goal, but his low-lining shot was deflected back to Griffiths who fired a second shot that forced a save.
IU had a chance in the 60th minute, as Adlard played the ball around in the UK box, setting up his shot that forcing an eye-level save from Williams.
In the 75th minute, UK mounted a dangerous attack inside the 18-yard box. After Burns had a shot blocked from 15 out, Rice rebounded the ball and fired a bending, low-lining shot that forced a diving, one-handed save.
With three seconds left in regulation and with Williams outside of the box after making a physical stop, IU had a shot to win the game in the final second, firing a shot to the near post, but Rice stepped in the way of the shot and knocked it out of bounds to force overtime.
In the 95th minute, IU received a free-kick opportunity from the edge of the 18-yard box. The Hoosiers attempted a hard and high, tailing-away shot that Williams managed to leap to get a hand on to save.
Strong had an excellent chance in the 98th minute, as Stephen Beiro and White played the ball to him on the edge of the six-yard box but his shot sailed just high and wide.
Williams again made a match-saving stop in the 107th minute, as Noschang broke through the defense and fired a wide-open shot that Williams secured.
In the 108th minute, Williams stepped outside the six-yard box and made a sliding stop to secure the ball in front of an IU player.
Indiana boasts arguably the greatest men’s soccer tradition in the nation, winners of seven national championships, appearing in 17 College Cups and posting 16 Big Ten Championships. The Hoosiers still lead the all-time series between the two schools 14-1-2, with UK’s lone win in the series coming in 1995 at Jerry Yeagley Field.
Rice, a preseason All-American won 7-of-8 contested header attempts on the night, bringing his season total to 120-for-135 on the year.
Kentucky returns to conference action with its final road game of the season, a Sunday matchup at No. 22 SMU, a team the Wildcats edged in 2007 when the Mustangs were ranked No. 1. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET.
