Sept. 19, 2002
Two first-half goals after an hour lightning delay lifted Southeast Missouri State to a 2-1 win over the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team Thursday night at the UK Soccer Complex. For the Wildcats (4-3-0), Erin Witchey scored her first goal of the season and Courtney Pollock collected her first career assist, but it was not enough as UK fell to the Otahkians (5-2-0) in the first meeting between the schools.
“You have to give them credit,” UK assistant coach Tim Bennett said. “They capitalized on every opportunity. They are a well-organized and a well-coached team. We started slow initially, but we had a lack of intelligence out there tonight. We substituted often to try and find some rhythm and something that would work. We definitely need the time off to regroup and get ready for conference play.”
For the fourth time in as many games, the Wildcats played from behind as Ahley DeRoy rocketed a shot that found the top left of the net from 22 yards out at 16:51 in the first half. Southeast kept its pressure on the Wildcats and got up 2-0 when Erin Slattery capitalized off a Valerie Henderson pass at 20:20 that cruised out of the reach of UK goalkeeper Liz Butler.
UK regained its poise in the second period and used a balanced, steady attack that resulted in outshooting SEMO, 12-3, for the game. The Wildcats closed the gap to one goal when Witchey connected on a header to the far post from eight yards out at 25:41. Pollock, who scored her first goal as a Wildcat last Sunday in UK’s 2-1 win over Northwestern, added another milestone point when the senior defender crossed to Witchey for her first career assist.
The Wildcats will next be in action on Friday, Sept. 27 when they play host to Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference opener at 5:30 p.m. ET.
12FSEMO 202UK101Scoring: DeRoy, SEMO (Reding), 16:51; Slattery, SEMO (Henderson), 20:20; Witchey, UK (Pollock), 25:41Shots: SEMO 3, UK 12Saves: SEMO 7, UK 1Corner Kicks: SEMO 5, UK 10Fouls: SEMO 24, UK 12Attendance: 207
– UK –
