Novak’s First-Career Goal Paces No. 22 Kentucky Past Ohio
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 22 University
of Kentucky women’s soccer team shutout the Ohio Bobcats 3-0 on Sunday
afternoon at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex. The Wildcats got a
first-half goal from junior Zoe Swift in the ninth minute to go up 1-0 and then
tacked on two in the second 45 via Cara Ledman and Kelly Novak to make the
final score 3-0.
Kentucky’s Katelyn Jensen, a freshman keeper,
recorded her fifth shutout in six matches this season, and fourth clean sheet
in a row on Sunday to run the Wildcats’ record to 5-1-0 on the season. UK opens
up Southeastern Conference action on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET against Ole Miss
in Oxford, Miss. The game will air nationally on the SEC Network with Pete
Pranica and 1999 World Cup Champion Kate Markgraf on the call.
Swift broke though for the Wildcats in the 9th
minute on a rebound goal. Katy Keen, who scored the game-winning goal on Friday
night against the Louisville Cardinals, played a ball across the box to Jade
Klump, who took a shot that was saved well by OU keeper Vanessa Cordoba and the
rebound sprayed to the right of the keeper and connected with Swift’s boot for
the 1-0 lead.
At halftime, UK had the run of play, and went
into the locker room up 1-0 with a 12-3 shot margin lead and a 5-0 edge in
corner kicks.
UK was much more clinical in the final third
in the second half, getting goals in the 50th and 65th minutes. Senior Cara
Ledman scored her first goal of the season in the 50th minute getting to the
byline on the left flank and cutting across at the bottom of the box and
beating the keeper near post for the 2-0 lead. Ledman’s last goal was in 2-14
on Oct. 24 against Ole Miss. It was her sixth-career goal.
Sophomore Kelly Novak then scored her
first-career goal in the 65th minute after freshman Lauren Nemeroff served in a
ball to the box that was cleared out initially on the right side, Novak then
collected the ball and finished brilliantly to the far post to beat the keeper
after a great first touch to the inside.
Eleven different players recorded a shot for
UK that played in the match, paced by five from Swift and four from junior
Kaitlin Miller, who also hit the crossbar early in the second half.
For
the latest on the Kentucky women’s soccer team, follow @UKWomensSoccer on Twitter,
Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
