UK Athletics

Overtime Unkind to Kentucky Again as Wildcats Drop 2-1 Decision

Box Score (PDF)

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – For the seventh time this season, the Kentucky women’s soccer team saw its match head to extra time, as the Wildcats dropped a 2-1 decision to the Texas A&M Aggies on Thursday night at Ellis Field in College Station.

The Aggies’ Mikaela Harvey scored with 20 seconds left in the overtime session to clinch the win for TAMU off a counterattack goal. Harvey was played the ball from a central area of the field by Grace Piper and finished up and over the Kentucky backline for the OT winner.

With the loss, Kentucky falls to 4-8-4 overall on the season and 0-6-3 in the Southeastern Conference this season. Thursday’s result eliminates Kentucky from advancing to the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach. Texas A&M improves to 8-7-1 overall and 3-5-1 in SEC play.

Kentucky came out flying against the stiff Texas wind, as senior Zoe Swift scored in the third minute of the match to take a 1-0 lead early on in the match. Swift was sitting just outside the six-yard box and was played the ball across the face of goal by fellow senior Kaitlin Miller. Swift finished across the grain and goalkeeper’s body to the far post for the early strike.

At halftime, Kentucky led 1-0 and would maintain that lead for 72 minutes, as the Aggies got the equalizer in the 73rd minute through the boot of Sara Shaw’s second goal of the season off a serve and finish from the right flank. Haley Pounds had the assist on the goal for TAMU.

Kentucky would earn a penalty kick just before the TAMU goal, as the kick was well saved by Aggie goalkeeper Danielle Rice, which prevented the Wildcats from doubling their lead. The Wildcats then earned a corner kick off the PK, which was headed off the crossbar – one of three crossbars that UK hit in the second half alone.

UK earned eight corner kicks in the match, hitting the crossbar twice, post once and the goalkeeper making two fantastic saves off a Miller header and a Kelly Novak service that took the wind and almost went into the upper 90 of the net.

The Wildcats will play their final road match of the season on Sunday afternoon at No. 9 Arkansas in Fayetteville. The match will start at 2 p.m. ET from Razorback Field.

For the latest on the Kentucky women’s soccer team, follow @UKWomensSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com