LEXINGTON ? Riley O?Neill scored a goal and added an assist to lead the Kentucky men?s soccer team to its fifth victory in its last six outings, a 2-0 decision over Alabama A&M, on Wednesday evening at the UK Soccer Complex.
The win was the third straight in the series for UK, which improved to 7-1-1 on the year. It is only the second time in school history the Wildcats have had as many as seven wins nine games into the season.
O?Neill got to work in the 37th minute when he teamed up with fellow senior Nathan Li for UK?s first goal. Defender Andrew Alexander cleared long into the Wildcats attacking half and O?Neill put a brilliant touch on the ball to deflect it into space. A streaking Li, took the pass, got around a defender with his first touch to leave nothing between himself and the keeper.
Once inside the box, Li fired low and inside the far post for the goal as Paul Musoke came out to challenge. It was the first goal of the season for Li, a natural defender playing up front for the second game in a row. The goal ended up being the game winner, the third time in his four career goals he has accomplished the feat.
In the 44th minute, O?Neill showed great patience to bury his team-leading 11th goal of the year. He took a chest-high pass at the six yard box and took the time to control it before booting it past Musoke for a 2-0 UK lead. Freshmen Mark Halma and Jase Griffiths assisted on the goal. It was the fifth assist of the year for Griffiths, tying him for the team lead with another freshman, Barry Rice.
The goal marked the seventh time in nine games O?Neill has scored and pulled him within one of the national leader. It also tied him for the second best single-season goal total in school history despite being less than halfway through the year.
Between the goals, Kentucky had two tremendous opportunities. O?Neill snapped a header that bounced off the crossbar and Michael D?Agostino cracked a bicycle kick from near the penalty spot that Musoke made a save on.
With a comfortable 2-0 lead, the Wildcats relied more on their defense in the second half, but still had chances to extend the advantage.
Kentucky held Alabama A&M to only six shots compared to 19 it fired en route its fifth shutout in the last six games and sixth of the season. Goalkeeper Dan Williams has four clean sheets on the year after making a pair of saves.
O?Neill had a pair of headers that just missed early in the second 45. One, from point-blank range, he headed down at the back post, but Musoke was there. On the other, he was unable to get enough on the shot to deflect it on goal and it sailed wide.
D?Agostino put a great strike on a free kick that nearly produced UK?s third goal in the 74th minute. At a sharp angle from the left flank, he bent the kick that beat the surprised keeper only to be foiled by the woodwork.
