Sept. 16, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s soccer team (7-1-0, 2-0-0 SEC) tallied three goals on Sunday afternoon, marking its largest offensive output of the season, to hand the Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-1-1, 0-1-1 SEC) their first loss of the 2012 season by a final tally of 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at the UK Soccer Complex.
“To get six points on a weekend means a lot,” UK head coach Jon Lipsitz said. “Today was the day when we grew up some. We did it all together, and as I said in the locker room, you don’t have to be anyone other than who you are. I thought it was a good step in what is going to be a grind.”
The opening goal of the game was charted in the fourth minute of the game when freshman Kelli Hubly slipped one past the keeper to give the Wildcats the early lead. Hubly got the ball on a nice feed at the outer edge of the 18 after freshman Courtney Raetzman worked the ball through the middle of the field. Junior Caitlin Landis gave the feed on the far side to Hubly who knocked it home. It was Hubly’s second goal of the season.
UK would strike again just eight minutes later when Landis notched her first goal of the season in the 12th minute to give the Wildcats the commanding 2-0 lead. The strike from Landis came from about 10 yards out after Hubly had a nice entry ball past the MSU back line. The ball was struck near post on one touch and past the keeper.
Kentucky controlled most of the possession throughout the game, collecting seven corner kicks to MSU’s two. The Wildcats recorded 21 shots overall in the game to the Bulldog’s six.
Kayla King finished off yet another outstanding weekend in net with a shutout performance. The Louisville, Ky., native has now been a part of five defensive shutouts on the 2012 campaign as this was her first individual shutout of the season. Sunday, King recorded three saves while facing six shots overall.
Sophomore Arin Gilliland rounded out the scoring, charting the third goal on the season for the Lexington, Ky., native and second on the weekend. After senior Natalie Horner hit the crossbar on a corner kick, the ball came out to a waiting Raetzman, who passed it to a waiting Gilliland who headed it in far post for the goal. The third goal of the game marked the highest offensive output in a single game versus an SEC opponent since Oct. 29 vs. Vanderbilt in a 4-2 win a year ago.
The game Sunday also marked UK’s annual Kick-Cancer Game, in which portions of Sunday’s game went to the research of pediatric cancer. The Wildcats wore special gold uniforms to mark their support. All of the gold uniforms will go on sale via auction Monday morning at UKathletics.com/auctions.
“Raising money for the Pediatric Cancer Oncology Center here at UK just means the world to us,” Lipsitz said. “Our lives were changed when we met Allison Berger over there a few years ago. Meeting her and her family and now getting to do this every year in her honor, raising money and giving back to the kids is amazing for us. We are so honored to do something to give back.”
Coupling Sunday’s win with the 2-1 win Friday over No. 13 Florida, Kentucky completes its first SEC-weekend sweep under Lipsitz. The full allotment of six points comes as the most points UK has earned on an opening weekend of conference play since 2003 when UK tallied two wins.
The Wildcats now hit the road for a pair of SEC games next weekend when they make the trip to Arkansas and LSU next weekend. UK will open the weekend with Arkansas Friday night at 8:00 p.m. ET and close out the weekend at LSU for a 2:00 p.m. ET kickoff.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
