Men’s Soccer Draws Virginia Tech in Labor Day Matchup
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 23 Kentucky men’s soccer (1-0-1) ended a Labor Day matchup against RV Virginia Tech (2-0-1) in a 2-2 draw at The Bell Soccer Complex.
The Cats dedicated the match to raising awareness for pediatric cancer in partnership with UK Children’s Hospital, the Lexington Ronald McDonald House and All In for Miller.
In the 27th minute, Agustin Lopez scored the first goal of the evening. The freshman’s first official Wildcat goal was a right-footed shot free kick that hit the crossbar before shooting down into the goal giving UK a 1-0 advantage over VT.
Nearly 10 minutes later, another newcomer, Nick Zielonka, recorded the first goal of his Kentucky career. The fifth-year senior was assisted by freshman Bertil Alban who passed the ball from his right in a cross which connected with Zielonka who sent the ball into the net.
Virginia Tech answered with a successful free kick of their own in the 41’ as senior Ethan Hackenberg shot the ball to the bottom center of the net. The goal put the Hokies on the board down by one leading into the halftime period.
With the second half clock nearing the 90-minute mark of finish, Virginia Tech found a scoring opportunity to equalize the match in the 88th minute. Ian Marcano, a freshman from Gaithersburg, Md., shot the ball past Casper Mols into the top left corner of the net. The match ended with a final draw of 2-2.
About All In for Miller
All In for Miller is a Non-Profit organization that will strive to be able to help hospitals, communities, and people in their struggles with improving the quality of life for children impacted by pediatric cancer, special needs, and potential medical requirements. All In for Miller will differ from other NPO’s because it will be based on relationships with patients. Not only is it about being able to provide financial support to families, it will also be with a relationship with them in an effort to let them know that there are other families that have walked challenging roads too. For more information, click here.
For the latest on Kentucky Men’s Soccer, follow @UKMensSoccer on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.
