Oct. 25, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Senior Masumi Turnbull’s goal in the 103rd minute gave the Kentucky men’s soccer team a valiant come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win over Florida International, on a brisk Saturday night at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (9-4-2, 5-1 Conference USA) trailed twice in the game, after allowing a FIU goal in the 10th minute and a go-ahead goal in the 55th frame. UK got goals from Jason Griffiths and C.J. Tappel, in addition to Turnbull’s golden goal.
With the Wildcats locked in a drag-out physical battle with FIU in the second overtime period, UK maneuvered a challenge inside the box. Junior Marco dos Santos and the newly substituted freshman Mark Lavery played the ball in, and after a rebounded shot and with the FIU keeper out of position, Turnbull pounded home the winner, his first goal of the season. The assist was dos Santos’ third of the year and Lavery’s second on the season.
UK has now won four straight matches for the first time since the 2006 14-win campaign, a season that saw the Wildcats run up five straight wins over the regular season and conference tournament. The Wildcats four straight wins all came in conference play and included wins over No. 18 South Carolina, at UAB and at home against UCF and FIU. UK has lost only four times in 2008, with three coming on the road at top-25 foes.
With UK trailing 2-1 in the 64th minute, Tappel connected with Turnbull off a corner kick. Turnbull played the missed header to Tappel, who fired a hard shot into the back of the net for his second goal of the season and the third of his career. The assist marked Turnbull’s second of the year and the 16th assist of his career, tying him with Riley O’Neil for third-place all-time in the UK career assist record book.
The Wildcats trailed in the 23rd minute and got the equalizer to the eighth-minute FIU goal that put UK in an early deficit. Dos Santos formed a threat inside the 18-yard box and forced a foul from FIU, setting up a penalty kick. UK turned to Griffiths, who beat the keeper for his fourth goal of the year, all on penalties. Griffiths, a junior and native of Bracknell, England, improved to 4-for-4 on penalties in 2008 and 6-for-6 in his career.
Kentucky controlled the tempo of the game throughout, forcing several scoring chances and holding a dominating 19-6 total shot advantage. UK held a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks and a 11-2 shots on goal advantage.
UK preseason All-America defender Barry Rice, a pure ball winner, won 11-of-15 contested header attempts on the night. On the season Rice, a member of the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy National Player of the Year Watch List, has won 113-for-127 contested header attempts on the season, a nearly 90-percent success rate.
FIU got on the board first in the ninth minute, as Diego Ximenes found himself open inside the six-yard box, netting his first goal of the year past the keeper. Ximenes, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, had not played in a game in 2008 before netting the goal. Ximenes, a junior, earned junior college All-America honors a year ago while played for San Jacinoto, netting seven goals and adding three assists.
The Golden Panthers (2-9-2, 1-4-0 C-USA) regained the lead in the 55th frame, as Ximenes again connected on a goal in his first game of the year. Brian Carvajal played the ball through the defense and found Ximenes wide open. Ximenes tapped a slow roller past a charging Williams for his second goal of the game and a 2-1 FIU lead.
Brad Walker, a defender from Australia, had a good chance in the 19th frame, as he connected on a header off a throw in from Stephen Beiro, forcing a save from Shane Lopez.
Griffiths fired a shot in the 28th minute, from about 25 yards out, a hard low-lining shot that forced a diving save.
In the 50th minute, dos Santos had a good chance, hitting the post on a shot attempt. Turnbull followed up the hit post with a shot of his own, forcing a save.
In the 99th minute, Chad Hagerty had a good chance on a breakaway, but his shot was saved by the FIU keeper.
Kentucky steps out of conference action on Wednesday, traveling to No. 18 Indiana University for a 7 p.m. ET matchup in Bloomington, Ind.
