Jensen’s Heroics, Miller’s Goal Helps UK Draw No. 12 Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Freshman goalkeeper Katelyn Jensen recorded a career-high 13 saves on 27 shots as the No. 22 University of Kentucky women’s soccer team earned a critical point on Friday night in a 1-1 draw with No. 12 Florida at James G. Pressley Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

With the draw, UK moves to 9-2-2 on the season and 3-1-1in the Southeastern Conference through five rounds of SEC action. Florida moves to 8-3-1 overall and sits 2-2-1 in the league. 

“Any road point in this league is critical, and also incredibly difficult to get,” UK head coach Jon Lipsitz said. “I thought we were all out of sorts in the first half, and we were lucky to only be down 1-0. Katelyn was great for us tonight in the net and kept us in the game when we were struggling. Florida is a great team, and the point means that much more because it comes against such a special team like them.”

Kentucky had its best chance of the first half in the 39th minute, as it earned a corner kick to the keepers’ right, it’s first of the match. Kaitlin Miller served in a great ball to the far post, where Zoe Swift got a head to it and darted it right off the right post, denying UK the go-ahead goal. 

Just two minutes later, UF went ahead off a corner of its own as All-American Savannah Jordan got her head to a Christen Westphal corner kick and slotted it into the center of the net, past UK goalkeeper Katelyn Jensen. 

The Gators had a 12-2 edge in shots and 9-1 advantage in shots on goal. Zoe Swift’s header off the post, and Cara Ledman’s saved attempt off UK’s second corner kick were UK’s two shots of the half. 

Kentucky equalized in the 48th minute on Miller’s third goal of the season. Courtney Raetzman got the ball in the center of midfield on a 50/50 ball, and played a pass up to Michaela Dooley into space down the middle. Dooley then played it wide to Miller, who rocketed a ball past the UF backline and into the back of the net to equalize. 

The goal scored by the Wildcats was UK’s first goal scored at James G. Pressley Stadium in Gainesville since 2009, a stretch of six years. 

Regulation ended with the score 1-1 as Miller and Jordan’s goals were the only strikes in normal time.

In overtime, Raetzman had the best chance of the frame in the opening two minutes, as she had time and space at the top of the box and fired a shot from 16 yards that nearly beat UF keeper Kaylan Marckese to her left, but it was saved well.

In the second overtime frame, there were no reasonable chances, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw.

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.