ORANGE BEACH, AL ? The Kentucky women?s soccer team continued its magical run through conference opponents as they defeated the 12th ranked Florida Gators (13-5-4) 2-1 to cap their march to the 2006 SEC Tournament Championship.
Over its final seven matches Kentucky (14-6-3) forged a 6-0-1 record en route to a No. 2 seeding and the tournament championship. The Wildcats excelled in all phases of the game to post a successful run recording five shutouts and scoring 12 goals, seven of which came in the conference tournament.
?This team is built on defense; we take our defense to heart. We defend first and attack second,? said head coach Warren Lipka. ?But today, and over the last few matches, Megan Jones came up with some very key goals and Anne (Ogundele) continued to step up as usual.?
As they?ve done the entire tournament, the Wildcats struck first, doing so at the 6:55 mark. Sarah Gaunt possessed the ball going down the right sideline and passed ahead to Giuleana Lopez who sent a crossing pass to Megan Jones. Jones settled the ball just inside the 18 and fired a shot with her left foot to the left of Florida goalie Brittni Goodwin for her sixth goal of the season and her second of the tournament.
Kentucky threatened again in the 25th minute when Julie Hull sent a ball over the top of the Florida defense that Lopez ran down and was one-on-on with Goodwin but Lopez?s shot went wide right.
Florida tied the match with 25 seconds left in the half when the Wildcats were called for a foul at the top of the 18 yard box. Stacy Bishop took the free kick and put it inside the left post, tying the score at 1-1.
Kentucky didn?t blink though after losing the momentum at the end of the half.
?We talked about getting the momentum back and focused more on our defending because that?s what we?ve done well all year,? said Lipka. ?
The Wildcats reclaimed the lead just out of halftime, again off the left foot of Jones. With the Wildcats pressuring just outside the Gator?s 18-yard box, Jones picked up a loose ball and immediately pulled the trigger on a shot that deflected off the stomach of Florida defender Lauren Hyde and went out of the reach of Goodwin for the goal and 2-1 UK lead 1:57 into the second half.
Ogundele then turned away Florida finishing with a career high 13 saves to preserve the Wildcat victory and it?s first SEC Tournament crown since 1995.
For their efforts Gaunt, Jones and Ogundele were all named to the All-Tournament team while Ogundele was named the SEC Tournament MVP. It was the second time in program history a Wildcat has been named the tournament?s MVP. Carrie Landrum won the award in Kentucky?s 1995 championship run.
The Wildcats return to Lexington with an automatic bid in their pocket and will await their seeding in the NCAA Tournament. The 64-team Women’s College Cup bracket will be announced on ESPNews on Monday, November 6 between approximately 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET. Kentucky is making its seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its first since 2002.
