LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sam Brooks netted his third goal his last five games and freshman Tyler Beadle made four crucial second-half saves, leading the Kentucky men’s soccer team to a 1-1 tie with No. 22 Central Florida, the Conference USA front-runner, on a soggy Wednesday night at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (4-6-2, 1-1-1 C-USA) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with Brooks’ goal just over two minutes into the game. After dominating play throughout the first half, UCF picked up the pace in the second half, getting a goal in the 73rd minute to even up the game. Both teams had chances in the first and second overtime period but good defense and extremely wet conditions assisted the game in ending as a 1-1 tie after 110 minutes.
UCF (8-2-1, 4-0-1 C-USA) entered the game leading the league with an unbeaten mark in conference play, owning C-USA wins over No. 5 SMU, Marshall, FIU and Memphis. The Golden Knights entered the game averaging 2.30 goals-per game and 13.9 shots-per game, with UK outshooting UCF 19-11 and owning a 6-5 mark in corner kicks.
Just over two minutes into the game, UK redshirt sophomore Jordan Rose played the ball down the far sideline and back into the box, finding Brooks, who flicked it past the keeper for the goal at the far post. The goal was Brooks’ third of the season and his first that didn’t come as the game-winning goal in overtime. The assist for Rose, a native of Englewood, Ohio, was his team-high tying second of the year.
UCF evened up the game in the 73rd frame, as the Golden Knights took a shot inside the 18-yard box that bounced off a UK defender and back into play. Warren Creavalle scooped it up and fired it past the UK keeper for the game-tying goal and his third goal of the season.
Beadle, a native of Douglasville, Ga., had a great game, as the UK defense did not allow a single shot on goal for the Golden Knights in the first half, as UK outshot UCF in the first frame, 10-1. Beadle picked it up in the second half, making four fantastic saves to keep UK in the game late. UCF goalkeeper Shawn Doyle finished with seven saves in the game, allowing only his seventh goal of the season in 11 games played.
The overtime game was UK’s school-record seventh overtime contest in the first 12 games of the season, with UK owning a 2-3-2 record in extra time this season. UK owns a 5-1-2 overall record in the series with UCF and is now 2-0-2 all-time at home against UCF.
Kentucky returns to action on Sunday, hosting Memphis in a league game at 3:30 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
