Aug. 17, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s soccer team got the 2012-13 UK Athletics calendar started on a positive note, scoring a 2-0 season-opening victory over Coastal Carolina Friday night at the UK Soccer Complex behind goals from junior Ashley VanLandingham and freshman Cara Ledman.
The win was the fourth straight season-opening victory for UK and the third straight time the Cats have claimed a shutout in their season lidlifter.
“You really have to give (Coastal Carolina head coach) Paul (Hogan) and his staff a lot of credit,” UK head coach Jon Lipsitz said. “They were ready for us. They made life difficult because our services weren’t good enough. Getting one really helped everybody to relax, but I think the thing that made things change was the second goal. It was a really nice goal, and it made us feel better about who we were today.”
UK owned the night outshooting the Chanticleers 21-1, including a 14-0 edge in the second half. Coastal never threatened UK in the shutout, which was tag teamed by junior Kayla King and sophomore Kayla Price in the cage.
Ashley VanLandingham got the Wildcats on the board 11 minutes into the match after Coastal was whistled for a foul on the left side of the box, about 35 yards from the goal. VanLandingham took the kick and buried it for her second career goal and a 1-0 UK lead.
The Wildcats carried the one-goal lead into halftime after a dominant 45 minutes that saw UK outshoot the Chanticleers 7-1 and take four corners to Coastal’s zero.
The second half was the same story as UK continued with the pressure outshooting the Chanticleers 14-0 while tallying nine corner kicks to Coastal’s one.
Freshman Cara Ledman provided an insurance goal in the 61st minute when she collected a rebound off a Caitlin Landis shot that caromed off the post. Ledman calmly controlled the ball and put it in the back right netting of the goal for her first career goal, giving UK a 2-0 lead.
“Every game is different. This is a game where because everyone wanted to be perfect, we overthought and we weren’t very sharp. We also have a player in Cara Ledman who you can always count on. She just works her tail off. You need players who just work. That’s why I think she had as big an impact as anybody tonight,” Lipsitz said.
UK thought they picked up a third goal after Coastal Carolina was whistled for a foul in the box resulting in a penalty kick for the Wildcats. Freshman Courtney Raetzman buried the ball into the back of the net, but UK was called for infringement, entering the goal box before the ball was struck. Raetzman missed the second attempt off the right piping of the net.
Kentucky will next take to the pitch in a week’s time, welcoming in-state rival Eastern Kentucky to the UK Soccer Complex for a match that will commence at 7:00 p.m. ET on Aug. 24.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
