LEXINGTON, Ky. — Freshman goalkeeper Tyler Beadle made three saves but the sixth-ranked Louisville Cardinals posted a 2-0 win over the Kentucky men’s soccer team, in front of 2,107 fans – the sixth-largest crowd in program history – on a gorgeous Wednesday night at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (3-5-1) fell in the rivalry tilt to the high-powered Cardinals, with Louisville notching goals in the 17th and 47th minutes. The Cardinals owned a 16-5 advantage in total shots and a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks.
The Wildcats got a three-save performance from Beadle, playing in his first UK-Louisville rivalry game. A native of Douglasville, Ga., Beadle has now saved 29 shots in his first nine career games, posting a 1.27 goals-against average with three clean sheets.
Louisville (6-0-2) remained unbeaten on the season with the win, claiming its second consecutive win after besting Providence on Sept. 25. The Cardinals were led by Nick Deleon, who totaled a game-high five shots. Kenney Walker finished with three of the UL’s shot attempts, with Charlie Campbell totaling two shot efforts.
The Cardinals got on the board with a goal from Dylan Mares in the 17th frame. Deleon fired a hard-hit shot that bounced off the cross bar and back into play, with Beadle and the UK defense scrambling to get back into position. Mares scooped up the ball and fired his club-best fourth goal of the season past Beadle for the difference.
In the 47th minute, UL struck for the second goal of the game, as Walker lofted a corner kick to the far post, with Austin Berry charting his second goal of the season with a header shot, putting UL up two goals in the second half.
Kentucky will return to action next Wednesday, traveling to face the Marshall Thundering Herd at 7 p.m. ET.
The Wildcats still lead the overall series with Louisville, 9-5-4. The Cardinals have now won three consecutive meetings in the series, with UK tying UL in 2006, 1-1.
UK totaled five shots in the game, with Steven Perinovic, Drew Midkiff, Jacob Kemper, Cameron Wilder and Sam Brooks each charting one shot. The Wildcats started five freshman and seven first-year players in the game, playing a total of 18 players, with 11 players in their first seasons at Kentucky.
