University of Georgia
Kentucky
Bulldogs Fall Short Against Kentucky
October 26, 2014 | Soccer
Highlights and interviews as Georgia Soccer Falls 2-0 to Kentucky
Oct. 26, 2014
ATHENS, Ga. --- The 22nd-ranked Georgia soccer team dropped a 2-0 contest to red-hot Kentucky on Sunday evening at the UGA Soccer Stadium, with the Wildcats scoring early and adding a second via an own goal after halftime to seal it.
Tonight's game marked Senior Night for Laura Eddy and Carli Shultis.
Georgia falls to 10-5-1 (5-4-1) with tonight's loss, while Kentucky improves to 12-5-0 (7-3-0). The Bulldogs - who stand tied for fifth place in the conference standings - have one regular season game remaining as they will travel to Texas A&M this week for a rare Thursday meeting in College Station.
"Obviously a very difficult and disappointing loss," said head coach Steve Holeman. "I feel bad for Carli and Eddy. I thought we played extremely well tonight. I thought we had a great Sunday night matchup with Kentucky, and I feel like it's a game that could have gone either way. They scored with their chances and we didn't, and that's the bottom line."
"I think we can still walk out of this game with some confidence," Holeman said. "Like I said, we played really well, we just didn't get the result, so this team knows that we're good. Obviously we have a tough matchup coming up against [Texas] A&M, but we're going to go into that game and give it our best shot, and I think we'll play well."
Kentucky went up 1-0 just under 12 minutes into the game as Zoe Swift forced a turnover by the Georgia back line and finished her opportunity past goalkeeper Louise Hogrell to put the Wildcats on top early on. Georgia had its share of looks at the goal as the squad aimed to tie, including with 27 to play in the first when Marion Crowder had an open chance go high. Bella Hartley then fired one wide with 23 remaining, and Crowder had a great run up the left wing result in a shot high of the frame with 18 on the first-half clock.
The senior Eddy nearly leveled things when she awaited a Caroline Waters cross in the middle with seven to go before halftime, but her header on the service was saved by UK keeper Taylor Braun.
Braun kept her shutout going through the first 45:00, with Kentucky edging the Bulldogs in shots, 9-7, over the opening period.
With Georgia continuing to chip away in search of the tying goal, it would turn unlucky for the Bulldogs in the 55th minute, as Kaitlin Miller took a corner kick for the Wildcats that Alex Carter got a head on at the near post, sending it across the goal mouth. Hogrell came out to stop it, but the ball ricocheted off her foot and over the line as it went down as an own goal and UK went up 2-0.
Rachel Garcia sent a header wide following a corner for Shayna Raekelboom with 26 remaining, and the Bulldogs' other big chance of the half came with 20 to go as Garcia pulled one just inches wide of the far post from the right side, and UK held on for the 2-0 road victory with Georgia unable to cut into the lead.
UK ended with 15 shots to Georgia's 14 as the Bulldogs had their opportunities but were unable to finish. Garcia led Georgia with four shots on the night, while Hogrell had four saves in goal.
Georgia will take on the Aggies on Thurs., Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. ET in the regular season finale, before preparing for the 2014 SEC Championships in Orange Beach, Ala., next week.
