Soccer Drops 1-0 Decision to Kentucky

Sunday, October 3

Knoxville, TN

University of Tennessee

5-6-1, 2-1-1SEC

Kentucky

7-4-1, 1-2-1SEC

Kentucky

Tennessee

October 03, 2010 | Soccer

Box Score

Oct. 3, 2010

Tennessee-Kentucky Box Score

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By Brian Davis, Assistant Media Relations Director

Tennessee Head Soccer Coach Angela Kelly discusses her team's 1-0 loss to Kentucky

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On a cold and blustery Sunday afternoon at the Regal Soccer Stadium, Caitlin Landis' goal at 37:43 proved just enough for Kentucky (7-4-1, 1-2-1 Southeastern Conference) as the Wildcats ended Tennessee's (5-6-1, 2-1-1 SEC) season-long four-match unbeaten streak by posting a 1-0 victory.

In an especially physical contest that saw 28 total fouls whistled (16 on UT), the Lady Vols out-shot the Blue & White, 20-14, and owned a 11-4 advantage on corner kicks but failed to find the back of the net.

Tennessee did come close on several occasions to locating the elusive equalizer. One of the best opportunities came at the 38:10 mark as Big Orange senior defender Melissa Speros' long shot hit the woodwork where the left post and crossbar connect before rebounding back into play and being cleared.

Lady Vol junior forward Chelsea Hatcher fired off a team-high six shots, while sophomore midfielder Kylie Bono launched four shots, including a squad-high three on frame. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Molly Baird made four saves between the pipes, while her UK counterpart, Sydney Hiance, tallied five stops.

The Orange & White had the best of the early run of play as sophomore midfielder Amy Harrison received a cross from junior forward Emily Dowd in the fourth minute and headed a shot over the top of the net.

Bono delivered a pass into the 18-yard box in the eighth minute that located Dowd. The Gainesville, Fla., native made a move in an attempt to find some space to shoot, but couldn't get off a shot as UK eventually cleared the ball out of harm's way.

Hatcher launched a long blast from about 28 yards out at 9:39 that bent in on net forcing the initial save of the contest by Kentucky keeper Hiance.

UK's offense didn't really get a sustained attack going until the 18th minute when a blocked shot from midfielder Alyssa Telang resulted in what would eventually become back-to-back Wildcat corner kicks. On the second of the two corners the ball ended up in Telang's possession on the left side of net. She made a move in towards the post and fired from about eight yards, but her shot hit the netting just to the outside of the upright for a harmless goal kick.

At 25:56 UT's Harrison received a pass in the middle of the 18, turned back toward midfield and found junior defender Chelsea Kephart with some space about 22 yards out. The Cumming, Ga., native raced in from the back to launch a shot that traveled just over the crossbar and settled onto the netting.

Tennessee continued forcing corners over the next few minutes with shots from Hatcher being blocked at 28:40 and Harrison firing high at 29:20.

A physical scrum involving Hatcher and senior midfielder Julie Edwards as well as a pair of Kentucky defenders near the end line on the left side of goal ended with the ball in Hatcher's possession. The Cincinnati, Ohio, product passed to Bono who bent a shot in from about 10 yards out on the left wing. Unfortunately for the Lady Vols, her drive traveled right into Hiance's waiting arms in the center of the goal mouth.

Kentucky turned the tables on all of the UT offensive pressure in the 38th minute as a long pass from midfield by 6-3 defender Laura Novikoff landed inside the 18. Forward Natalie Horner managed the slightest of flicks on the ball with her foot, forcing it to Landis who had a step on her defender. She ended up one-on-one with Baird and beat the UT net minder from about eight yards out in the middle at 37:43 to make it 1-0, Wildcats.

The Lady Vols nearly tied things up just seconds later at 38:10 as Speros launched an ambitious effort on frame that hit where the left support and crossbar meet before bouncing back into play and being cleared.

A shot from Edwards in the 41st minute, that forced Hiance's fourth save of the opening stanza, and a Tennessee corner at 42:00 proved the last major chances for UT in the first half as the squads went to the break with UK holding its precarious one-goal advantage.

The `Cats came out of the locker room with some offensive pressure, forcing a corner and firing wide and high with a trio of shots over the first five minutes of play.

Bono launched another shot, this one from just inside the top of the 18 at 50:55, but again the ball ventured straight into the waiting arms of Hiance for another save.

A corner kick awarded to Tennessee in the 53rd minute of play eventually resulted in a Speros shot from 22 yards out that traveled wide left.

Kentucky nearly boosted its lead to two scores at 55:24 as UK forward Taylor Parker swiped a ball from a Big Orange defender, raced in on a 3-on-2 break and passed to the middle. Landis received the feed about 14 yards out and fired a rocket that Baird managed to stop.

Down the stretch UT's offense continued its strong pressure by forcing corner after corner (five total over the last 17:21 of regulation) but couldn't seem to get off a quality shot on net. Each Big Orange feed into the middle either traveled harmlessly through all the traffic in the 18 or was headed back toward the midfield by the Kentucky defense.

A drive by Tennessee junior midfielder Emily Shore at 84:22 was blocked, marking the final credited shot for either team during the match as Kentucky held on for its 1-0 victory.