Aug. 31, 2008

Box Score

LEXINGTON


, Ky. —

Senior forward Michael Strong netted his third goal in the past two games and Marco dos Santos scored for the second time in as many collegiate games, as Kentucky plowed through the University of Kentucky Invitational for a first-place finish, pounding Detroit 5-0 on Sunday at the UK Soccer Complex.

Kentucky
set a new school best for goals scored (11) and the largest margin of victory (11-0) in the first two games of the season, outscoring Central Arkansas and Detroit 11-0. The Wildcats, who set a new school-record for the largest win in an opener with a 6-0 win over UCA in the season opener Friday, posted their second consecutive shutout – a feat only accomplished twice before in program history, with the last coming in 2005.

The 2003 club opened up with three consecutive shutouts, wins over UNC-Asheville, Cincinnati and Western Kentucky. The last time UK dominated its opening two opponents in such a fashion came in 1995, when the Wildcats posted a 5-0 win over Valparaiso and a 2-1 win over UNC-Asheville.  

Junior UK goalkeeper Dan Williams posted his eighth career shutout with a three-save performance vs. Detroit. UD played two keepers, with Luke Paneccasio working nearly 59 minutes and Bryan Kloss totaling the final 31 minutes, saving three and allowing two goals.

UK
dominated ever aspect of the game, outshooting Detroit 14-4, with a 6-2 edge in corner kicks.

Dos Santos, a freshman forward, got UK on the board in the sixth minute, getting a pass from fellow standout freshman Taylor White and firing a score past the diving goalkeeper. Dos Santos opened his career with a goal in the 60^th minute against UCA.

Strong, a forward from San Antonio, Texas, continued his coming out party against the Titans, just a day after scoring two goals and adding an assist in his first collegiate game in over a year. Strong scored his third goal of the season on an unassisted breakaway through midfield, beating the defense and lofting a ball over the goalkeepers head in the 48^th minute.

Junior midfielder Jason Griffiths notched his first goal of the season in the 56^th, beating the keeper on a penalty kick, his second consecutive penalty converted, dating back to 2007.

Junior Sam Vernalls got his first goal in a Wildcat uniform, taking assists from Bingy Lara and Tim Crone getting a lofted ball past the keeper for a 4-5 UK edge.

Lara, a senior midfielder, got his first goal of the season in spectatular fashion getting assists from George Davis IV and Sam Vernalls and firing a shot from about 15 yards out past the goalkeeper.

Strong, White, Chad Hagerty and Tyler Burns rounded out UK’s members on the UKIT All-Tournament team.

So far on the season, Strong leads UK with seven points (3 goals, 1 assist), while White ranks second with six points (2 goals, 2 assists). Dos Santos and Davis IV rank third on the club with four points, with Dos Santos totaling two goals and Davis IV a goal and two assists.  

Kentucky
returns to action next Friday, September 5 traveling to face No. 9 UC Santa Barbara, the 2006 national champions, in a nationally televised game. First kick on Friday is slated for 11 p.m. ET and the game will be televised by the Fox Soccer Channel.

Chad


Hagerty, Kentucky

Mike Luttrull, Evansville

Justin Sass, Evansville

Tyler Crawford, Evansville

Zac Burns, UCA

Adam Schwabauer, UCA

Sam Seppo, Detroit

2nd – Evansville (5-0)

3rd – Detroit (0-7)

4th – UCA (0-9)