Nick Gutmann Leads No. 5 Kentucky to 2-1 Win Over Bellarmine
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Powered by the first two goals of Nick Gutmann’s collegiate career, No. 5 Kentucky (10-0-4) defeated in-state foe Bellarmine (6-7-1) 2-1 on Tuesday at Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
After polishing off an 8-0 slate outside of Conference USA, the Wildcats have won each non-conference match of the regular season for the first time in school history. Tuesday’s win also extends the program’s record 14-game undefeated streak to open the season.
Gutmann’s first goal came in the 16th minute, though it was not decided in real time. A distant shot by teammate Robert Screen bounced off the far post, leading to a one-touch rebound by Gutmann that appeared to have been saved by Bellarmine defender Nate Girao. Moments later, video replay confirmed that the ball had crossed the goal line before meeting Girao’s outstretched right foot, cementing the 1-0 lead for Kentucky.
The one-goal advantage held for nearly an hour of play until Gutmann padded the Wildcats’ lead with a breakaway to the far post off a long ball from Lucca Rodrigues in the 73rd minute. The Knights’ Nolan McGrath cut the UK lead in half with a Bellarmine goal in the 86th, but the Kentucky defense held steady down the final stretch.
Louisville, Kentucky, native Ryan Troutman picked up the third start of his redshirt-junior campaign against his hometown team as Kentucky introduced its 13th different starting lineup of the season. Troutman faced six shots and recorded two saves in place of the resting C-USA Defensive Player of the Week Jan Hoffelner.
Kentucky held a 16-6 edge in overall shot attempts, though each team landed three tries on frame. Twenty different Wildcats saw the pitch, with Gutmann leading the charge behind a game-high five shots in his third starting effort.
Kentucky will return to league play on Saturday, facing Charlotte (8-5) on the road at 7 p.m. ET on CUSA.tv.
Admission to all 2021 UK soccer matches at Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex is free to the public. For the latest on the Kentucky men’s soccer team, follow @UKMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.
