LEXINGTON, Ky. — After battling Loyola Marymount through 90 minutes of scoreless soccer, the Kentucky men’s soccer team allowed an LMU golden goal 20 seconds into the first overtime period, giving the Wildcats their first loss of the 2010 season, in a thrilling 1-0 game on a gorgeous Friday night in front of 1,118 fans at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (2-1-0) suffered its first loss of the season and allowed the first goal of the year, snapping a streak of 301 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal, dating back to the season finale at Tulsa in 2009. UK opened the season with a pair of 1-0 wins over Eastern Illinois and IUPUI, winning the season-opening University of Kentucky Invitational Tournament.
LMU (3-0-0) broke through to win the game with just 20 seconds elapsed on the clock in the overtime period. The Lions got the goal started by a long ball played from NCAA player of the year candidate, Rafael Baca, to Kyle Johnson. Johnson fed the ball to David Ponce, who netted the golden goal for his first goal of the year.
Kentucky will return to action on Sunday, wrapping up the Wildcat Invitational Tournament. LMU and Butler will play in the first game at noon ET, before UK will face Houston Baptist at 2:30 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex. Butler, an NCAA Tournament second-round team in 2009, won the first game on Friday, a 5-1 beating of HBU.
The Wildcats totaled 11 shots in the game, including five from redshirt sophomore Jordan Rose, who played 81 minutes, despite being cut above the eye in a collision early in the game. 2009 Freshman All-America honoree Matt Lodge fired two shots in the contest, while David Harrison, Brad Walker and Josh Albers each fired shots.
The Wildcats had two excellent scoring chances in the game, with the earliest coming in the 22nd frame, when Lodge hooked up with Tyler Riggs on a chance, setting up a UK corner kick. In the 77th minute, Rose had a great chance, as Shaun Deliberato executed a spiffy diving header to Rose inside the box and with the keeper just off his line, Rose missed his shot wide right.
LMU (3-0-0) had several chances to win the game in regulation, as UK goalkeeper Tyler Beadle made a great, intelligent save in the 81st frame. With a long ball played deep into the box, Beadle’s momentum took him dangerous close to the end line on a leaping save. Beadle wisely extended his arms with the ball when he received it, keeping the game tied 0-0. With just two seconds before the end of regulation, Baca – one of the top players in the nation – fired a hard-hit ball that was just out of reach of Beadle, bouncing off the cross bar and taking the game to overtime.
Beadle, the reigning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week, ended the game with two saves, with UK totaling three total saves. LMU goalkeeper Jack McCormack saved four total shots with LMU saving six UK chances. LMU totaled five corner kicks in the game, with UK charting four corners. The win was the second overtime win for the Lions this season, as LMU needed just 55 seconds in overtime of a season-opening win over San Diego State in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 1.
Walker, a preseason All-Conference USA selection by the league coaches, won a total of 6-of-7 contested header attempts in the game, bringing his total to 15-for-17 contested headers won on the year. Walker, a 6-foot-4 native of Sydney, Australia, was one of five UK players to play the full 90 minutes, including freshmen defenders Dylan Asher and Steven Perinovic.
