Oct. 7, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. — With less than four minutes left in regulation and after 86 minutes of scoreless soccer, Ashley McInnes netted the game-winning goal, lifting Tulsa to a dramatic 1-0 win over the Kentucky men’s soccer team, on a chilly Wednesday night in front of 2,084 fans at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (7-4-0, 0-3-0 Conference USA) battled the defending conference champion Tulsa through 86 minutes, when McInnes connected with Jose Parada and Blaine Gonsalves for the game-winning goal, sneaking the ball past a diving UK keeper and into the net at the near post.
The loss extends UK’s losing streak to three games, the first three-game losing streak since the 2003 season. After running up a school-record 15-match unbeaten streak through the 2008 season and the beginning of the 2009 season, UK has now only lost four times in the last 21 matches.
With a total of 2,084 fans at the UK Soccer Complex Wednesday, it marked the sixth-largest crowd in the history of the men’s soccer program and just the sixth crowd of 2,000 or more in program annals.
The Wildcats had a bevy of chances in the game, outshooting Tulsa 14-9, including 6-2 in the first half. Tulsa managed four corner kicks to UK’s three.
UK goalkeeper Dan Williams saved four total shots in the game while Andy Aguilar made three saves for Tulsa, with a Golden Hurricane teammate saving another shot early in the game.
Kentucky returns to action Saturday, traveling to Memphis to face the Tigers at 8 p.m. ET.
First-team preseason All-American defender Barry Rice, playing through multiple injuries and wearing a cast on his right arm, won 9-of-12 contested header attempts, bringing his season mark up to 85-for-104, an 82-percent clip.
Freshman midfielder Matt Lodge led UK with four shots, while Rice, C.J. Tappel, Josh McCrary and Marco dos Santos each added two shots. Midfielder Joe Salem led Tulsa, firing three shots, including a game-high two on target.
Lodge had an early chance in the 14th minute, taking a free kick from 30 yards out. After his initial cross came back to him, Lodge fired a shot from 20 yards out that just missed high.
The Wildcats had a chance in the 27th minute, when Tyler Burns played a ball back to dos Santos, whose bending shot just missed wide and high.
In the 34th minute, Brad Walker had a good look, spinning to drill a shot, waist-high, into the hands of Aguilar, who bounced the ball out of the box at Lodge, whose shot missed high.
UK had a good chance in the 80th minute, as Lodge found the ball played back to him, shooting from 30 yards out and forcing a save from Aguilar.
