Wildcats Battle to 2-2 Draw at Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In a return to non-conference play, the Kentucky Wildcats (4-0-3, 1-0-0 SBC) battled to a 2-2 draw against the Louisville Cardinals (5-2-1, 1-2-0 ACC) in a rivalry night matchup at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium.
The result tonight moves the Wildcats’ overall record on the season to 4-0-3 through the first seven games of 2025. Kentucky remains unbeaten following the draw against Louisville, as the upcoming schedule features three consecutive Sun Belt Conference matchups prior to the non-conference finale vs. No. 3 Indiana on Oct. 14 at The Bell.
In the early stages of the first half, forward Bains Smith created the first goal scoring opportunity for the Wildcats in the seventh minute but was denied by Louisville goalkeeper Alex Svetanoff near the bottom right corner of the goal. Defender Josh Gordon nearly broke the scoreless deadlock later in the half in the 27th minute, forcing Svetanoff into his second save of the night, keeping the score level at 0-0.
The opening 45 minutes of the 2025 edition of the battle in the bluegrass would come to a close with the scoreline still level at 0-0 in Louisville.
Less than two minutes beyond the 45-minute mark, Louisville struck first to open the scoring with a goal in the 47th minute by Nicholas Parham, coming off an assist from Bilal Camara to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead early in the second half.
Later in the half, the Wildcats would find their equalizer from Alex Ruiz, his sixth goal in seven games this season, setup by a perfectly timed through ball from Isaiah Chisolm in the 64th minute. Ruiz sliced through the Cardinal defense and beat Svetanoff in a 1v1 battle to level the scoreline at 1-1 with 25 minutes remaining in the match.
Just four minutes of gametime passed before the Cats found their second goal of the night, this time with Chisolm on the receiving end, with incredible buildup play coming from Agustin Lopez and Bains Smith, propelling the Cats to a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute.
The ensuing 20 minutes would pass with minimal scoring chances on either side, until, for the second consecutive season, the Cardinals would score an 89th minute goal, this time to rescue a 2-2 draw, coming from forward Ryan Quintos off a corner kick, narrowly sneaking into the near post of the Wildcats’ net.
After 90 minutes of a back-and-forth affair, and an effort that saw Kentucky nearly complete a come from behind win on the road, the battle in the bluegrass would end in a 2-2 draw in Louisville.
Next up for Kentucky is a trip to Conway, S.C. and a return to Sun Belt Conference play against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the CCU Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. ET.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s soccer team, follow @UKMensSoccer on X, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.
