Box Score BOX SCORE

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Host Kentucky scored twice in the final 10 minutes of regulation to surge past the upset-minded Eastern Kentucky University women’s soccer team, 2-1, on Tuesday night at the UK Soccer Complex.

“I’m very pleased with the composure we showed from start to finish tonight against a very good SEC team,” head coach Lindsay Basalyga said. “We battled for 90 minutes, and I’m proud of the effort.”

EKU (0-2) had been outscored by UK (2-0), 12-0, in its previous two meetings with the Wildcats in 2005 and 2006. Tuesday night, however, was a different story as the young, upstart Colonels – starting one junior, five sophomores and five freshmen – delivered a gutsy performance, playing strong defense in the first half, receiving an opportunistic goal from freshman Sydney Montgomery early in the second half and leading the rest of the way, save the final 10 minutes of regulation.

“UK has some special players up top that put the game away late,” Basalyga said. “But, for our team to see how close they can come to beating a team like that … the experience and confidence gained is invaluable.”

Following a gritty, scoreless first stanza in which EKU surrendered seven shots, but also made some nice runs into UK territory, the Colonels earned a 1-0 lead five minutes into the second half when Montgomery took advantage of a misplay and buried a beautiful goal into the upper-left corner of the net from 35 yards out.

EKU stiffened its defenses following the score; however, the Colonels fouled just inside the box in the 80th minute, and Kelsey Hyundia converted the ensuing penalty kick to tie the score, 1-1. Just seven minutes later, with less than three minutes on the clock, Stuart Pope found Arin Gilliand in front of the net, and she scored the decisive goal from 10 yards out to give the Wildcats the come-from-behind victory in their home opener.

Junior Deja Tennon, sophomores #Emily D’Italia and Lauren Fant and freshman Paige Larkin# all went the distance on an EKU backline that was nearly flawless for the first 80 minutes of play.

Making her first collegiate start, freshman goalkeeper Annie Wickett delivered a stellar performance, making a key save in the first half and weathering an onslaught of desperate UK shots in the second half to finish the night with three stops.

“Annie was big-time tonight,” Basalyga said. “She made some big saves, and was the reason we were able to stay in the game early on.”

Despite the stinging loss, EKU will move on to face Wright State on the road this Friday at 5:00 p.m.

“This is the most coachable team we’ve ever had,” Basalyga said. “They looked like a completely different team tonight than the one that lost to Louisville, 5-0, just four days ago. So I am confident that we will go back to the drawing board and use this game to get better moving forward.”