Aug. 29, 2008
Lexington, Ky. – – The UK women’s soccer team (0-1-0) drew first blood, but was unable to hold on dropping its season opening match, 3-1 to the eighth ranked Texas Longhorns (2-0-0).
After a scoreless first half, the Wildcats got on the board 6:37 into the second half when Julie Hull played a ball through the Texas defense to Laura Novikoff. Novikoff controlled the ball and pushed it past Texas goalie Dianna Pfenninger for the 1-0 UK lead.
The Longhorns answered with a flurry though, scoring three goals in the next two minutes. Texas tied it when Kasey Moore scored off a loose ball rebound at the 56:06 mark. Moore was at it again at the 57:59 mark when she fired a shot from 26 yards out and connected for her second goal of the night and a 2-1 Texas lead. The Longhorns took a commanding 3-1 lead 26 seconds later when Amanda Lisberger took a pass from Jill Gilbeau and tallied her second goal of the season.
“Texas raised their energy level and changed their whole personality after we scored, and we sat back on the lead,” said Kentucky head coach Warren Lipka. “You just can’t do that against this level of competition. I didn’t think our back four organized as well as they should have and we got punished.”
Texas threatened early in the first half with Alisha Ortiz firing a shot from five yards out, but UK goalie Sydney Hiance was there to knock the ball away preserving the scoreless tie.
The Wildcats generated their first scoring opportunity with 19 minutes left in the first half when Nicola Holdsworth sent a ball over the top of the Longhorn defense to Kelly Miller. Miller controlled the ball, dribbled to 15 yards out and fired off a shot, but Pfenninger was there to gather the ball up.
The loss ended Kentucky’s 10-match unbeaten streak in home openers, while dropping the Cats’ record to 11-3-3 in home opening matches.
UK returns to action on Tuesday, when they head to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats.
