Kentucky Misses Final Pieces in Dominating Thursday Performance

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky women’s soccer team did just about everything right but score a goal on Thursday night at the Bell Soccer Complex, dropping a tight 2-0 decision to the Vanderbilt Commodores.
 
Kentucky played much of Thursday’s match on the front foot, outshooting Vanderbilt 8-5, maintaining much in the balance of possession and earning a 7-1 corner-kick advantage. Kentucky was just not clinical enough in the final third, while Vanderbilt was more efficient with its opportunities to score two counterattack goals in the win.
 
The loss came almost a week after the Wildcats 3-0 upset over RPI ranked No. 11 LSU at home on Friday, Kentucky’s first conference win under first-year head coach Ian Carry.
 
Kentucky will look to rebound on Sunday afternoon at Mississippi State. The match starts at 3 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
 
The Commodores opened the scoring in the 24th minute with their first attack of the match. Forward Simone Charley sent a high cross from the left side of the field to Azari who played the ball down and into the far post for the freshman’s first goal of the season.
 
The Wildcats missed two opportunities that would have equalized the game in the second half; first, capitalizing on a free kick from Katy Keen, Payton Akins sent a driven ball just over the top of the net in the 57th minute. It was Keen again in the 75th minute who sent a ball just to the left of the frame on a shot from distance.
 
Azari doubled Vandy’s lead in the 87th as the visiting forward pounced on an open ball and finished to the far post after a Kentucky turnover.   
 
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.