After battling to a 0-0 score through the first 90 minutes, the Kentucky women?s soccer team (5-5-1, 0-2-0) surrendered a goal 40 seconds into the first overtime to drop its SEC home opener to the Auburn Tigers (7-3-0, 1-1-0) 1-0.
Jenny Zarzour took one of the Tigers 11 corner kicks on the night and sent it perfectly in the box where Caitlin King put a header on the ball past a diving Anne Ogundele for the golden goal.
In spite of the loss, the Kentucky offense was more potent than it had been in recent matches.
?We tweaked our system a bit; we gave Megan (Jones) a little bit for freedom,? said head coach Warren Lipka. ?(Giuleana Lopez) did an outstanding job of holding the ball for us and creating chances. It was night and day, we were not in sync or rhythm at all in the first half. We were happy to be at 0-0. They had probably 44 of the 45 minutes of play, but I think it was a different story in the second half. We had our opportunities; their keeper made great saves, our keeper made great saves. It?s too bad we had to lose that one, because (UK goalie) Anne (Ogundele) was outstanding tonight. My hats off to their keeper, because she came up with some great saves for them too.
?It was a well contested match. We just need to put our chances away when we have opportunities, especially when you have that many quality opportunities.?
Kentucky had its first real scoring threat in the 18th minute when Megan Jones chased down a ball on the right end line and placed a centering pass that Lopez volleyed towards the left post but Auburn goalie Allison Whitworth was able to make a diving save on the attempt to preserve the scoreless match.
The Wildcats had another legitimate threat at the 55-minute mark when Lopez found herself open at the top of the 18 and fired a rocket on goal but Whitworth made a diving save to thwart the opportunity.
The Tigers threatened to break the scoreless tie in the 75th minute when the Cats were called for a foul just outside the 18 yard box. Zarzour lined up the shot off the free kick and sent a hard shot right at the goal but Ogundele was there for a diving save.
The teams provided a flurry of action in the final minutes of regulation beginning with a Kentucky opportunity in the 88th minute. Jones broke the Auburn defense and found herself one-on-one with Whitworth but the Auburn keeper was able to deflect Jones? shot away.
Auburn responded in the 89th when Kentucky was called for a shot just outside the 18 yard box. Kristin Stewart took the shot for the Tigers but sent a line drive wide right.
Lopez led the Wildcat offense with four shots, three of which were on goal.
The Wildcats host the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday in the first part of Kentucky soccer doubleheader. The women?s team kicks off against the Tide at 12:00 p.m. ET followed the men?s team taking on the South Carolina Gamecocks at 2:30 p.m.
