No. 21 Women’s Soccer Downs Kent State 3-1 in Historic Senior Night
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 21 Kentucky women’s soccer (8-0-0) celebrated senior night in style, defeating Kent State (3-2-1) 3-1 for their seventh win in a row at the Bell Soccer Complex this season. Three seniors, Maddie Kemp, Grace Phillpotts, and Sophia Mattice scored on the night for the Wildcats giving the program their eighth win in a row and the best start to a season in program history.
The Wildcats got the job done tonight sweeping the non-conference portion of their schedule for the first time in program history. Kentucky outshot the Golden Flashes 15-5 in the victory with seven shots on target to their one. Six yellow cards were issued in the match with three assessed to each team.
After the honoring of 13 seniors pre-match, the scoring came early for the Wildcats. Maddie Kemp was in the right place at the right time to put away an Anna Sikorski header in the fifth minute that bounced off the inside of the far post onto the goal line. It marked Kemp’s third goal of the season.
Kent State notched one back in the 14th minute similarly after the ball was lobbed into the box from a free kick, hit the crossbar, and fell in front of the goal line for the tap-in to Kelsey Salopek. It marked only the second goal conceded at home by the Wildcats this season.
Things calmed down for a while before Grace Phillpotts stunningly scored her first career goal five minutes from the break. Phillpotts collected the ball in the center of the pitch from about 30 yards out after a clearance from a corner. She shifted the ball onto her left foot and unleashed a looping strike that bounced off the inside of the post and into the back of the net in a worthy Sportscenter top 10 plays moment. The Wildcats entered the halftime break with a 2-1 lead.
Sophia Mattice capped things off in the 52nd minute for the Wildcats after putting away a scramble in the box from a corner kick. The ball, looped in from Catherine DeRosa fell into the center of the box, and bounced around the bodies, before finding Mattice’s foot in some space for the easy finish. It marks her first goal this season and in her Kentucky career.
The Wildcats now focus on Southeastern Conference play as they welcome Florida (3-1-3) to the Bell Soccer Complex on Thursday, September 19th at 7:30 p.m.
Season tickets for all Kentucky soccer men’s and women’s home games can be purchased here, while single-game tickets are available here.
For the latest on UK Women’s Soccer, follow the Wildcats on Facebook, Instagram, X and at UKathletics.com.
