LEXINGTON, KY ? The Kentucky women?s soccer team exorcised some of its offensive demons of late en route to their first league win, a 3-0 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide (4-8-0, 0-4-0).
The Cats (6-5-1, 1-2-0) out shot the Tide 17-4 marking the first time since September 13 at Miami (OH) that Kentucky out shot its opponent. The Wildcats also recorded team highs in goals and shots since a 3-0 victory over Ohio State on September 8.
?The first half we came out with energy and we were ready to play the match but I don?t think we took care of the ball all that well. The communication between the players on the field was quiet,? said head coach Warren Lipka. ?In the second half we needed them to vocalize and communicate more. We made a couple adjustments in that area and on the mental side. We also made sure we stuck to our game plan at the beginning of the game and all that allowed us to create some quality scoring chances.?
The Wildcats drew first blood in the eighth minute when Giuleana Lopez finished off a through ball from Megan Jones for her sixth goal of the season and a 1-0 UK lead.
The Crimson Tide had an opportunity to the tie the match in the 29th minute when Natalie Kohn sent a free kick into the box that Gillian Kilburn knocked into the upper left 90 of the goal, but the side referee whistled the Tide offside to negate the goal.
Kentucky struck again in the second half in the 58th minute when Jones sent a crossing pass in front of the goal that Betsy Holbrook volleyed home for a 2-0 Wildcat lead. For Holbrook, it was her first career tally.
Megan Jones, who already had two assists on the day, finished off the scoring in the 83rd minute when she took a pass from Holbrook at the top of the 18 yard box and dropped a shot just over the hands of Alabama goalie Brittni Lally for her third score of the season and the final 3-0 score.
The victory gave Kentucky its first points of the season in SEC play a big point of emphasis for Lipka.
?Any win in the SEC is a great win. Beating Alabama and getting three points is a start and that?s what we needed, we needed to get that start. We had a tough one on Friday night, came back on Sunday, regrouped and got the result. That shows we can fix a few things, we need to build on this success now and take it into Friday night.?
Not to be lost in the celebration was that Lipka coached his 300th career game, all of which have taken place at Kentucky.
?I?m getting old,? he quipped.
The Wildcats will be in action again on Friday night when they host the South Carolina Gamecocks in a 7:30 p.m. ET match at the UK Soccer Complex.
