The University of Kentucky women?s soccer team remained unbeaten as it overpowered Bellarmine tonight, Sept. 6, by a final score of 7-1 at the UK Soccer Complex. The Wildcats improve to 3-0-1 on the year, while the Knights fall to 1-2.
Freshman Kate Hughes turned in a hat trick for the Wildcats tonight, scoring three goals on four shots. The Brentwood, Tenn., product joins Cheryl Shimovetz and Annie Gage as the third different player in UK history to score three times in a game. Hughes was one shy of the career record which also came against Bellarmine during the 1992 season when Shimovetz scored four times against the Knights.
?I don?t really put pressure on myself and I don?t think about scoring goals when I?m out there,? said Hughes. ?I just try to work hard to get the ball with my teammates and the goals just come.?
Fellow freshman Nicola Holdsworth scored her second goal in as many games to start the offense for the Wildcats. Holdsworth took a feed from Courtney McCrudden during the 19th minute and sent the shot into the corner of the net to put UK on top 1-0.
Hughes added an unassisted goal in the 32nd minute to make it 2-0, while freshman Rachel Ulrich added her first collegiate goal in the 41st minute when she sent a shot from 25 yards out into the upper right corner. Kate Rowlands was credited with the assist on the Ulrich score which gave the Cats a 3-0 lead at the break.
UK has scored first in every match this season and has yet to allow a first-half goal by any opponent and the three goals in the first period were the Cats? best first-half output of the season.
Kentucky made it 4-0 when Hughes struck with another goal after she knocked the ball into the far side of the net on a free kick by Kristin Moyer during the 47th minute.
Hughes wasted no time getting her third goal as she sent a delivery from McCrudden in front of the goal past the BU keeper during the 64th minute. Callie Lanphier added an unassisted goal during the 71st minute, while Sarah Gaunt wrapped up the scoring for UK with her third goal of the season when she punched the ball into the goal during the 76th minute.
Bellarmine?s managed just one shot on goal in the match and their lone goal came when Kentucky goalkeeper Liz Butler cleared the ball but saw it bounce off the Knights? Jaime Halas late in the second half.
?We?d had some trouble putting the ball in the net but tonight we were able to open it up and they went in,? said head coach Warren Lipka. ?I wasn?t real happy with giving up the late goal because those are mistakes that we just don?t want to make in the final minutes. I was happy with the defense again tonight and I think we are continuing to improve each time we step on the field.?
The Wildcats had 34 shots on the night, including 20 shots on goal to just five shots by BU.
Kentucky returns to action Friday, Sept. 9, when it wraps up a five-game homestand against Cincinnati.
Notes: After scoring just nine goals in their last 13 games of the 2004 season, UK has scored 14 goals in their first four matches of the 2005 slate ? The seven goals were the most scored in a game for Kentucky since scoring eight against Western Kentucky on Sept. 12, 2004 ? UK and Bellarmine met for the third time tonight and UK has outscored the Knights 19-1 in those contests ? Kentucky head coach Warren Lipka stands just two wins shy of his 150th career victory with an overall record of 148-107-16 during his 14 years at UK.
