LEXINGTON, Ky. – Vanderbilt?s Alexis Youculan lined a loose ball into the net from nine yards out to deal Kentucky a 3-2 defeat Friday evening at the UK Soccer Complex. A Kentucky win would have clinched an SEC Tournament berth, but the Cats got help from three other teams to secure the eighth and final seed in the 2004 SEC Tournament next week at Auburn.

UK sophomore Elisabeth Jones scored her first goal in seven weeks off of a loose ball in the penalty box. Sophomore Ashley Janning directed a free kick from the right flank toward the goal from 25 yards. The ball bended off the top of the left post and into play, where Jones poked in the free ball for a 1-0 Wildcat lead. Vanderbilt?s Sarah Dennis responded ten minutes later to tie the match, though the Cats reclaimed the lead in the 39th minute.

Janning sent a corner kick from the left corner in front of the goal where the ball struck the foot of a Vanderbilt defender and bounced across the end line just before Vanderbilt goalkeeper Tyler Griffin could clear the ball out of the zone. Vanderbilt?s Lauren Mitchell tied the tally at two less than a minute later for a 2-2 halftime score

Kentucky held Vanderbilt to only one shot in the second half, but the Cats failed to dent the net off of six second-half shots. Finally, in the 94th minute, Vandy?s Youculan took advantage of a Kentucky defensive error and drilled home a loose ball from 12 yards for the game winner.

Nonetheless, the Cats find themselves packing their bags for a trip to Auburn to meet SEC regular-season champion Tennessee next Thursday. With a loss to Vanderbilt, UK needed a Georgia loss at Tennessee coupled with a tie or loss from Arkansas and South Carolina. Tennessee defeated Georgia by a 2-0 count, Arkansas suffered a 3-0 loss at LSU and Florida tallied a ?golden goal? to nab South Carolina, 2-1. As a result, Kentucky takes the eighth seed in tournament and extends its conference-record streak of SEC tournament appearances to 12. The Cats will meet Tennessee in a rematch of a nailbiter two weeks ago in Knoxville where the Lady Vols scored the game winner with four seconds remaining in regulation.

AGATE:

 1 2 OT F Vanderbilt 2 0 1 3 Kentucky 2 0 0 2 

Goals: UK: Jones (Janning), 6:30; Own goal, 38:43; VU: Dennis, 16:55; Mitchell, 39:26; Youculan, 94:02 Goalkeepers: UK ? Liz Butler ? 2 saves, 3 goals allowed; VU ? Tyler Griffin ? 3 saves, 2 goals allowed Attendance: 549