Oct. 5, 2008
Lexington, Ky. – The Kentucky women’s soccer team (3-7-2, 1-2-1) grabbed a 2-0 first half lead, but was unable to hold on, dropping a 3-2 double-overtime heartbreaker to the 13th ranked Florida Gators (9-2-1, 4-0-0).
After battling back from a two-goal deficit, the Gators forced the game into overtime where neither team was able to scratch a goal. However, with 7:33 left in the second overtime, Florida’s Lindsay Thompson broke free from the UK defense and fired the game-winner from 15 yards out that snuck between a diving Sydney Hiance and the right post.
“We got lackadaisical in the most important part of the game, in overtime,” said UK head coach Warren Lipka. “You can’t rest for one second in overtime and expect to win.”
UK grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the eighth minute on a perfectly executed corner kick. Kristin Kover sent a kick towards the back post where Kate Hughes was there to finish with a header and her first goal of the season.
Kristin Kover and Nicola Holdsworth put on a passing clinic in the 38th minute, resulting in a 2-0 Wildcat lead and Giuleana Lopez’s second goal of the season. Kristin Kover pushed the ball down the middle of the field and sent a pass over to Nicola Holdsworth on the right side. Holdsworth settled the ball and crossed it across the field to a wide open Lopez who controlled the ball, dribbled in a couple feet and ripped the shot to the upper right 90 of the goal for the score.
The Gator picked things up offensively in the second half particular in a brief 1:17 span when they tied the game. Florida cut the lead in half when Tahnai Annis took advantage of confusion by the UK defense and chipped a shot over the heads of the retreating Wildcat defenders and an advancing Hiance. Just over a minute later, Nicky Kit took a crossing pass from Ameera Abdullah and punched it home, tying the game at 2-2.
“We executed our plan in the first half, doing what we wanted to do,” said Lipka. “But in the second half, we had another one of those 20-minute moments where we thought we were going to win and sat back, but you can’t do that against the 13th ranked team in the country.”
Holdsworth had a golden opportunity to end the match with 4:45 left in the first overtime. Laura Novikoff dribbled the ball down the right side, split two Gator defenders and centered a pass right in front of the Florida goal to Holdsworth. However, Holdsworth couldn’t get a solid foot on the ball, rolling it weakly to Florida goalie Katie Fraine.
Kover paced the Cats’ offense with two shots, including one on goal, while recording two assists. Novikoff and Lopez also managed two shots each.
Kentucky hits the road next weekend for their first conference matches outside Lexington this season, traveling to Tennessee and Georgia.
