Sep 8, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With two goals in the first half, and an added insurance goal in the 71st minute, the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team powered past the University of Dayton Flyers, 3-1 on Sunday afternoon, picking up Kentucky’s fourth-straight win to move to 4-1-1 on the season.
“I am really proud,” UK head coach Jon Lipsitz said. “I watched a lot of film on Dayton. I told the team that I thought they were the best team that we have played on film. I have tremendous respect for (Dayton head coach) Mike (Tucker) and the job he does. For us to be able to win means we played well. You don’t beat a team that good and play poorly. But, tomorrow, that won’t be good enough and we have to get better.”
UK held much of the possession in the opening half, tallying 10 shots to the Dayton’s two, and earning two corner kicks. The Wildcats broke through in the 10th minute when Conway, Ark., native Alex Carter struck for her first-career goal, by intercepting a bad pass on the Dayton back line and turning it into the 1-0 lead. Carter then quickly made a quick move to her left after receiving the pass and beat the Flyer keeper, who came out and was beat into the left corner.
“Alex (Carter) needed that,” Lipsitz said. “Alex has been playing really well. She is not a forward. She is a fantastic midfielder, but in order to get our best technical players out there, we need her there. She’s been incredibly coachable in the process. I’m glad she got one.”
Kentucky would double its lead in the 24th minute with freshman Zoe Swift’s team-high-tying fifth goal of the season. Swift got in behind the defense on the right side and was slipped a through ball from Stuart Pope onto her foot. Swift then drew out the keeper to challenge the ball, took a touch to the right, and then passed it into the back of the net for her fifth of the year.
The Wildcats would add another goal in the 71st minute when Pope knocked in her fifth goal of the season. Pope was played a ball from the wide side runner, Jade Klump, who played it back central for a running Pope at the top of the box. Pope beat her direct defender to the right and knocked the ball past the keeper far post for the 3-0 advantage.
Three minutes later, the Flyers would strike back for their only goal of the afternoon when Ashley Campbell notched her third goal of the season as she headed a corner past Kayla King.
King, combined with freshman Ayanna Parker, has now gone the last 510 minutes only allowing two goals, a stretch spanning over five games.
The win comes as UK’s fourth straight, with wins over Eastern Kentucky (7-0), at Toledo (2-1), Louisville (2-0) and Dayton (3-1) since the opening weekend.
Kentucky’s next match will be on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Texas-San Antonio RoadRunners at the UK Soccer Complex.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
