Nov. 4, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. — South Carolina got a penalty kick goal at the end of the first half from Bradlee Baladez and a combined clean sheet from Alex Long and Robert Beebe to post a 1-0 win over No. 25 Kentucky men’s soccer, to conclude the regular season, on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at the UK Soccer Complex.
The Gamecocks rode the penalty kick goal from Baladez in the 44th minute for the win, as Beebe and Long combined to post the shutout. UK finished with an 18-10 advantage in shots, including a 10-5 lead in the second half and owning a 10-0 margin in corner kicks.
Kentucky (9-8-1, 4-3-1 C-USA) entered the final two games of the year needing wins over Central Florida and South Carolina to contend for the regular-season league title. UK suffered a hard-luck 1-0 loss vs. UCF on Wednesday, despite a 23-shot game, to fall out of title contention and needed a win over South Carolina on Sunday to secure one of the two byes in the C-USA Tournament.
With the loss to the Gamecocks, Kentucky will be the No. 5 seed in the six-team league tournament and will face No. 4 seeded Memphis on Wednesday at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. UK and Memphis played to a 2-2 draw in the lone meeting in 2012 in Lexington.
UK keeper Jack Van Arsdale made two saves for UK in goal, facing 10 total Gamecock shots. UK was led in shots by senior Matt Lodge, who took six efforts, with Charley Pettys and Dylan Asher each firing two shots.
South Carolina (5-11-2, 2-5-1 C-USA) got the shutout from Beebe and Long, with Beebe starting the first half and Long taking over in the second frame to save four shots to keep the Gamecocks in the contest.
USC took an early lead in the 44th minute just before the half, as Baladez capitalized on a penalty kick chance, his fourth goal of the year. The Gamecocks took advantage of a counter attack situation, as Baladez was taken down in the box, setting up the penalty kick.
GAME NOTES: South Carolina leads the all-time series with UK now, 5-4-2, with UK owning a 3-2-0 all-time record in games played in Lexington … Matt Lodge took six shots and now has a career-record 197 shots in his four-year career … Jack Van Arsdale finished the 2012 regular-season with a 1.14 goals-against average … UK finished with a 10-0 advantage in corner kicks, its third-most corners taken in 2012.
