Kentucky Knocks SEMO From Ranks of Unbeaten in Wild Affair
Box Score (PDF) | Lipsitz Post-Match
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Despite being equalized twice
in the second half, and inside of the final half hour of the match, junior
Tanya Samarzich scored the game-winning goal off a header from end line service
off the boot of Marissa Bosco to give the Kentucky women’s soccer team a 3-2
win over the Southeast Missouri (SEMO) RedHawks on Wednesday night.
The loss for SEMO was its first of the season
as they now sit at 6-1-1 overall. Kentucky wins its second match in a row and
ends its non-conference portion of the second 4-3-1 overall. UK will step back
into conference play on Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. ET against the Alabama
Crimson Tide live on the SEC Network from Lexington.
The game-winning goal came from Samarzich’s
head in the 80th minute as Bosco got end line and served in a ball over the
near-post defender’s head and on to the forehead of Samarzich who thwarted it
past the keeper and in for the game-winning goal. The goal for the Mexican
international was her team-leading sixth of the year, and the assist for Bosco
was her team-leading fifth of the season.
Kentucky took a 1-0 lead in the 29th
minute from the spot as Kaitlin Miller converted on UK’s first penalty of the
season. She slotted it home past the keeper after Jade Klump tried to cut back
at the top of the box and cut towards the goal and was taken down in the area.
SEMO would equalize after a bright start in
the second half from the RedHawks off of a Kentucky backline miscommunication,
and Esmeralda Gonzales took advantage, slotting home a ball from eight yards
out for the equalizer.
Kentucky would re-take the lead for the second
time on the night in the 59th minute as Jade Klump scored from distance off a
throw-in from Samarzich. The throw in came from the right side of the pitch,
where Klump turned and fired from 20 yards out into the upper 90 and gave the
Wildcats a 2-1 lead on her first goal of the season.
SEMO would again respond brilliantly in the 65th
minute off a well-earned corner from the right side, serving in a high-lofted
ball from Jasmin Hilliard that was hammered home in the box off the ground by
Angie Mann for her first goal of the season.
The match winner from Samarzich came after UK
got a hold of the game late and was on the forefront for the first time in the
second half, and UK would hold on for the 3-2 win.
Sunday’s match with Alabama will be UK’s
annual “Kick-Cancer Match” with proceeds going towards the research of pediatric
cancer. UK will be dawning gold kits on Sunday and those kits will be auctioned
off for sale the following week. All proceeds will go towards
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s soccer team, follow @UKWomensSoccer on Twitter,
Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
