LEXINGTON, Ky. — Louisville scored four first-half goals Thursday and held on for a 4-2 win against Kentucky in front of 2,307 fans ? the fourth-largest crowd in school history ? at the UK Soccer Complex.
The loss marks just Kentucky?s first loss in its last five meetings with UL, and the first since a 2002 setback. UK still controls the series, holding a 9-3-4 edge between the two clubs. Kentucky has now lost just three times in its last 14 matches on its home pitch.
The Cardinals (2-1) controlled the tempo for the majority of the match after the Wildcats (1-2) broke to a 1-0 advantage just four-and-a-half minutes into the opening period. Louisville out-shot Kentucky 12-8, with a much more balanced offensive showing between the two teams in the final half.
Kentucky got on the board in the fifth minute as defender Barry Rice cleared a ball off to Tim Crone, who dribbled past his defender one-on-one and beat the goalkeeper with a strike from 18 yards out. The goal, which gave the Wildcats a 1-0 advantage, was Crone?s first in a Kentucky uniform.
The Wildcats had another strong scoring opportunity just three minutes later as freshman forward Luke Maitland launched a shot on goal that went just wide left to cap the final of three scoring chances by Kentucky in the match?s opening 10 minutes.
Louisville was able to counter UK?s early advantage with a goal of its own in the 12th minute to knot the score at 1. Marco Terminesi lofted a corner kick past Kentucky goalkeeper Dan Williams, as Phil Edington capitalized on the header to find the back of the net. It would be the first of a pair of goals for the Cardinals in a 55-second span that gave them a 2-1 advantage.
A cross from Louisville?s Kenny Walker found Aaron Clapham, who headed the ball in past Williams. Each of the first two goals by the Cardinals marked the first of the season for the respective scorers.
Louisville continued to control the majority of the midfield balls throughout the first half and extended its lead to 3-1 in the 32nd minute as J.T. Murray gathered in a loose ball from 30 yards out and dribbled to the box, where he beat a diving Williams to drive the ball into the lower left of the goal.
The Cardinals took a 4-1 advantage into the locker room at intermission thanks to a one-timer from Simeon Steward who knocked a shot into the back of the net. Murray picked up the ball at the midfield stripe and launched it into the box to set up Steward?s scoring heroics.
Out of the break, the Wildcats were able to gain some momentum early into the second half before transfer Aaron Swanson scored his team-leading third goal of the season off a low cross from Chad Hagerty that snuck through the box past U of L goalie David Simolike in the 55th minute to bring Kentucky within two, 4-2. The goal marks Swanson?s third in UK?s last two games.
Louisville came right back and almost stole another goal to try and close out the match. It took a couple of spectacular saves by Williams to keep the Cardinals? offense at bay. The first occurred when he came off of his line to punch the ball away, but in doing so, the Cardinals retained possession and had a shot by Aaron Clapham driven away by the diving Williams in the 64th minute.
Kentucky returns to action Sunday when it plays host to Cleveland State. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. at the UK Soccer Complex with live stats available at UKathletics.com.
