Kurosaki Lifts Cardiac Cats to Third-Straight Win

Recap by: Ally Vannatta

LEXINGTON, Ky. –Yuuka Kurosaki shined in Kentucky’s 2-1 victory over Morehead State on Thursday at The Bell, scoring the golden goal two minutes into extra time after assisting the opener on 22 minutes.
 
The Wildcats improved to 3-0-0 on the season, showing a great level of grit with a second-straight overtime victory.
 
Kentucky led 1-0 for more than an hour after Marissa Bosco finished Kurosaki’s cross at the far post which gave UK the lead at the aforementioned 22-minute mark.
 
Kentucky was most dangerous Thursday night on the counterattack as both of its goals came in transition.
 
Morehead State equalized with fewer than 10 minutes left in regulation as Makenna Lavatori looped a header above UK goalkeeper Hannah Leonard’s reach across goal and into the right side netting.
 
Kentucky started the overtime period on the front foot, but the goal came after UK’s press caught Morehead stretched thin. After Kentucky forced a turnover, freshman midfielder Abby Steiner used a trademark epic burst of world-class pace to break free along the right.
 
With no one able to stay with her as she streaked toward the end line, she squared the ball back for an awaiting Kurosaki who smashed the ball at the near post with a first-time effort.
 
Leonard was solid in goal once again, making two saves in more than an hour and a half of action.
 
UK will host Wisconsin on Sunday with a 1 p.m. ET match at The Bell. The game will be nationally televised on the SEC network.
 
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.