Sept. 28, 2002
Lauren Russell’s goal at 45:53 secured the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team’s first Southeastern Conference victory of the season as it held off Vanderbilt, 2-1, at the UK Soccer Complex Saturday afternoon. Though the Commodores (2-5-0/0-1-0 SEC) lead the overall series, 10-7-0, the Wildcats (5-3-0/1-0-0 SEC) have now won four straight over their Eastern Division rivals.
“It’s very important to start with a conference win at home,” Coach Warren Lipka, who improved his career league record to 45-21-0, said. “It’s a bonus when you can sneak out a conference victory on the road, but you have to take care of business when you’re playing at home. We were an improved team from last Thursday. We needed to prove that we could withstand this team trying to fight its way back in the match and we did that.”
The Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a minute remaining in the first period when Elizabeth Ramsey netted her team-leading fourth goal of the season from 16 yards out. Christal Mattingly, who finished with a game-high two assists, served the ball up the middle of the field where Danielle Slupski booted a long feed to Ramsey that resulted in a one-goal UK lead at the half.
Fifty-three seconds into the second period, Mattingly set up the Cats’ insurance goal. The senior Bardstown, Ky., native fed Ramsey on the right flank who in turn, found an open Russell who rocketed a shot past VU goalkeeper Esther Thompson’s reach. The goal, scored to the high right of the net from 12 yard out, was Russell’s first career game-winner and her second of the season.
However, the Commodores would not leave the Bluegrass shut out, as Katharine Carroll slipped behind the UK defense and headed the ball inside the left post to an empty net. Molly Wilson was credited with the assist. Though the Wildcats displayed a tenacious defense to hold the Commodores to only one goal, Vanderbilt was able to outshoot UK, 14-9, and took nine corner kicks to the Cats’ zero.
UK will return to action on Sunday, Sept. 29 when it plays host to Arizona at 7 p.m. ET. Tomorrow’s match with the Wildcats is the inaugural meeting between UK and UA.
1 2 FVanderbilt 0 1 1Kentucky 1 1 2Goals: Ramsey, UK (Slupski, Mattingly), 44:00; Russell, UK(Ramsey, Mattingly), 45:53; Carroll, VU (Wilson), 60:50Shots: VU 14, UK 9Saves: VU 5, UK 8Corner Kicks: VU 9, UK 0Fouls: VU 11, UK 6Attendance: 296
– UK –
