Sept. 30, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the third-consecutive match the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team (8-3-1, 3-2-1 SEC) was forced to play more than the normal time, falling to Alabama (7-3-2, 2-2-2 SEC) 2-1 in one overtime session Sunday afternoon.
“The biggest frustration is that I think if we would have done the basics, today would have been a different game,” UK head coach Jon Lipsitz said. “We had players that ran eight miles on Friday night, and we needed to give them a break. When we give them a break, we have to get better. That is something that has been a basic tenant of our program in the past. That didn’t happen today.”
Cara Ledman recorded the game’s only tally for the Wildcats, as the freshman scored her third goal of the season on a feed from the top of the box from fellow freshman Courtney Raetzman. Ledman got the ball wide on the wing and dribbled into the area before launching a shot that struck the far post and bounced over the line for the goal.
Alabama controlled much of the possession and run of play, as the Wildcats defense was forced to stop 12 Crimson Tide shots while UK just recorded five on the afternoon.
The three-consecutive overtime games was the first time since the 1999 season that UK has played in three straight contests that went extra time. In the last three games, UK is 1-1-1, with a win over LSU and a draw against No. 6 Texas A&M on Friday night.
The loss was the Wildcats’ first of the season at home, snapping a 6-0-1 mark UK held prior to Sunday.
The game-winner for Alabama came in the fourth minute of the first overtime as Pia Rijsdijk struck home from about 10 yards out as the Tide forward shook a few defenders and flooded the goal past a diving Kayla Price to the far side.
Kentucky will travel to Columbia, Mo., for the first time as a member of the Southeastern Conference Friday night for an 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff with the Tigers. Missouri came into Sunday’s action as the leader in the SEC East. UK will then travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss on Sunday afternoon.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
