LEXINGTON ? Brad Frederick scored a pair of goals 36 seconds apart in the 80th minute to put the finishing touches on Kentucky?s dominating 3-0 victory over Mount St. Mary?s on Sunday at the UK Soccer Complex.
The performance was the best of the year for the Wildcats, which outshot the Mountaineers 22-4 and put 13 of those attempts on goal. Kentucky goalkeeper Dan Williams needed just one save for a clean sheet, his third of the season.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 6-1-1 and have already matched their win total from a year ago. Mount St. Mary?s, which dropped a 2-0 decision at No. 6 Maryland earlier in the week, fell to 3-4.
While they didn?t score, Nathan Li and Riley O?Neill were the catalysts up front for UK. Li, a natural defender making his second career start at forward, was dangerous all game long, ripping six shots, four on goal. In one 13-minute stretch, he had four legitimate scoring chances, but was unable to find the back of the net. When he finally did in the 78th minute, it came only as the offside flag was raised, one of nine offsides for UK on the game.
O?Neill, the nation?s leading scorer, was robbed twice of goals by Mark Murphy, who stayed busy all game long. His best effort came in the 32nd minute when he snapped a header off a Michael D?Agostino cross only to see Murphy make a diving stab to deflect the shot off the crossbar and out.
Twice in the second half, O?Neill had great chances, but couldn?t convert. In the 52nd minute, he split a pair of defenders as he worked into the box and only a sliding poke from behind prevented a shot at point-blank range. Eight minutes later, he had a breakaway and Murphy came off his line and slid into the ball as O?Neill attempted to dribble around him.
Despite not scoring for just the second time in eight games, O?Neill had a hand in UK?s first goal. He beat two defenders and was pulled down from behind to earn a penalty kick. D?Agostino stepped up and calmly buried the shot in the upper right corner.
While UK held onto it?s 1-0 lead, the game was never in doubt. The Mountaineers managed just one first half shot, a free kick that went straight into the wall. By the time Frederick went to work, it seemed only a matter of time before one of the Wildcats flurry of chances would create a goal.
Frederick?s first goal came on a breakaway after he intercepted a pass near midfield. He dribbled in and slipped the ball low past Murphy as he came out. Moments later the ball was headed out to him off a corner kick where he volleyed over the defense and into the left side netting from 16 yards.
The two goals marked the second shortest time span between goals in UK history. It was the fastest a single player had ever turned the trick.
The Wildcats return to action on Wednesday when they host Alabama A&M at the UK Soccer Complex at 7 p.m.
