LEXINGTON ? The Kentucky men?s soccer team fought to a scoreless draw with Marshall on Friday night at the UK Soccer Complex to clinch a berth in the Conference USA Tournament.
The tie was a school-record fifth for the Wildcats this year as they moved to 6-6-5 overall and 3-4-2 in the league. Marshall, who held on to second place in the league, now stands at 6-9-1 on the year and 4-3-2 in the conference.
?I would have liked to end the home season with a win, but we got into the tournament and that?s the main thing,? Kentucky coach Ian Collins said. ?We have to go to work and get ready for that now, because it?s going to be a deal where anyone can win it.?
In the final home game for five UK seniors, Kentucky was not without its chances to find the back of the net. Sophomore Michael Strong had the best chances, firing off a team best three shots, two of which went on goal.
Strong had back-to-back chances starting in the 55th minute. On a long ball played from the back, he beat the defense to it only to have his left-footed offering beat the keeper and sail just wide of the far post.
Three minutes later he took a through ball dead center in the box, but fired a shot directly at keeper Greg Terhune who made the save.
?I thought we had chances that we just didn?t finish, Collins said. ?We put a lot of pressure on them and probably could have had three or four goals.?
After Marshall got a shot off in the 60th minute, the defenses took over and neither side could get off a chance for the remainder of regulation.
Neither side produced much in the first overtime before Kentucky dominated the final 10 minutes to no avail. In the second overtime, UK won four corners and had two tremendous chances. The first came off a corner in the 104th minute when Strong came away with the ball in a crowd. He turned and fired from six yards out, but had his shot deflected off the line for another corner.
This time, the ball was played out to Jess Mitchell at the edge of the 18 where he cracked a shot off the bounce that went just outside the far post.
The Wildcats started slowly, allowing seven of Marshall?s 12 shots in the first 25 minutes of the game before settling into a rhythm. The best Thundering Herd opportunity came in on their seventh chance when John Daniele fired a shot from the penalty spot that Kentucky keeper Andy Gruenebaum stonewalled.
?We didn?t get off to a good start, but I thought we really settled down and ran the game,? Collins said.
Gruenebaum made five total saves to record his fifth shutout of the season and the 21st of his career. He is now one shutout shy of the school record held by Brian O?Leary.
