Women’s Soccer Earns First Point in SEC Play, Draws Florida, 1-1 – UK Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A strong second half effort allowed Kentucky ladies’s soccer (7-7-1, 0-6-1 SEC) to notch its first consequence in convention play, because the Wildcats performed to a 1-1 draw towards the Florida Gators (2-11-1, 0-6-1 SEC) on Sunday afternoon on the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.

UK secured its first level in the SEC below first-year head coach Troy Fabiano, courtesy of an eightieth minute equalizer by freshman Madison Jones, who was making her first collegiate begin in the competition.

After greater than a half hour of scoreless soccer, the Gators struck in the thirty fourth minute on a objective by junior midfielder, Delaney Tauzel. The breakthrough got here as the results of a set piece on the left flank from Julianne Leskauskas, whose curling ball was completed by Tauzel after Wildcat goalkeeper Tallulah Miller collided with a Gator attacker.

Florida would carry that 1-0 benefit to the locker rooms, proudly owning a 5-2 edge in pictures on the break.

Despite the presence of some gentle rainfall, UK appeared to seek out its footing in the second half, upping the tempo and shifting into the attacking third at appreciable frequency.

Hannah Richardson was on the heart of the Cats invigorated assault, first testing the Gators’ goalkeeper with a floated cross in the 53rd minute that glanced off the arms of Alexa Goldberg and fell out of bounds.

Richardson had the ball at her ft but once more in the 61st minute, dribbling from the Kentucky defensive finish, round a Florida defender, all the way in which to 18-yard line earlier than slipping on the slick turf whereas making an attempt to chop again to her left foot.

Then, in the seventieth minute, the senior ahead once more got here near paydirt when Jordyn Rhodes took the ball from the Florida protection and lofted a cross over prime of the Gators for a Richardson shot which hit the crossbar after Goldberg received a hand to it.

Reserve Maddie Eastman got here off the bench and performed a harmful ball into the center in the eightieth minute. An aggressive Goldberg was unable to corral the cross, which popped free with the Florida netminder nonetheless sprawled on the bottom, creating some anxious moments for the Gators earlier than the zone was cleared.

The relentless UK assault lastly capitalized in the eightieth minute, paying off its dogged effort on a match-tying objective by Jones. A cross from Rafferty Kugler was headed twice – as soon as by Rhodes after which once more by Emile Rhode, earlier than it discovered the left foot of Jones for a bouncing shot into the underside proper nook. The help was the primary of Rhode’s profession, whereas Jones scored for the second time this season.

Neither facet managed a shot on the right track following the objective, though Kentucky had one remaining probability on a free-kick from 25 yards out which sailed excessive with simply 10 seconds to play.

Shots on objective completed in favor of UK, 10-6. Eight of the Wildcats’ 10 pictures got here in the second half.

Next up, the Cats head to Missouri to tackle the Tigers on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The match will likely be broadcast dwell on SEC Network.

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