LEXINGTON, Ky. — Despite a furious rally in the second half, the Kentucky men’s soccer team couldn’t overcome a pair of goals from Marshall, as the Thundering Herd posted a 2-0 win over the Wildcats, snapping UK’s school-record home unbeaten streak, on a picture-perfect Wednesday night at the UK Soccer Complex.
The loss snapped an 11-match unbeaten stretch for the Wildcats, who entered the game with a 5-0-1 record at the UK Soccer Complex in 2011 and were unbeaten in their final five home matches in 2010. The 11-match streak eclipsed the previous school record of 10 consecutive home games without a loss in 2003-04.
Kentucky (7-6-1, 0-3-0 Conference USA) fired off 17 shots and four shots on goal, but could not find the back of the net. UK managed a 17-9 advantage in shots and a 9-4 mark in corner kicks, including owning a 13-3 lead in shots and a 6-1 lead in corners in the second half.
Junior Matt Lodge and senior midfielder Josh McCrary each had three shots for Kentucky, with the Wildcats’ best chances coming in the second half as they out-shot Marshall 13-3. Junior Jacob Kemper also came off the bench to take three shots in 17 minutes, with UK getting shots on goal from McCrary, C.J. Tappel, Tyler Riggs and freshman forward Jonathan Brown.
The Wildcats will take the pitch again Saturday when they face UAB at the UK Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. ET.
UK goalkeeper Tyler Beadle, a native of Douglasville, Ga., saved two shots in the game, while Marshall’s Daniel Withrow posted three saves for the clean sheet, with Marshall also getting a clutch team save late in the contest.
Marshall (6-4-0, 3-0-0 C-USA) got on the board in the 40th minute when Diego Ayala received a short corner kick from Peter Bulat and blasted it into the back of the net. Ayala received the ball at the top corner of the 18-yard box, took one touch toward frame and hammered in the goal past an outstretched Tyler Beadle in goal. The goal was Ayala’s first of the season.
Kentucky was the aggressor coming out of the halftime break, generating a few scoring opportunities early. Marshall scored its second goal of the game though on a long ball played up the left sideline to Bulat. Bulat took the ball to the end line, turned the corner and centered it into traffic where it managed to get through to Tom Jackson who tapped it in for his eighth goal of the season.
