For 39 minutes, the Kent State soccer team was neck and neck with the 21st team in the country while on the road Friday night.
KSU’s second-half play and a couple goals allowed Kentucky to slip away from the Flashes in a 3-1 game – the first matchup between the programs in history.
The Flashes were tied 1-1 early into the game after a hot start, but Kentucky kept pressure on the team by throwing more shots on KSU’s net and mixing in corners, as well.
In the game, Kentucky shot the ball 15 times at senior goalkeeper Heidi Marshall – only seven made it on goal. Marshall made four saves and allowed three shots to hit the back of the net.
In the second half, KSU allocated three yellow cards, and allowed Kentucky to take seven corner kicks. The Wildcats finished the game with nine corner kicks total, and the Flashes recorded zero.
With the win, the Wildcats are now 8-0 for the first time in program history, while Kent State drops its second game in a row. The Flashes are 3-2-1 this season.
Kent State is ninth in the Mid-American Conference before any team has played a conference game.
The breakdown
Senior midfielder Siena Stambolich started out the game with two fouls within the first five minutes.
Both teams traded goals in the first half of the game. Junior defenseman Kelsey Salopek scored her first goal of the season for the Flashes in the 12th minute, and was assisted by sophomore defenseman Ava Todd.
Stambolich landed a free kick onto Todd’s head, then the ball made its way to Salopek to convert for the Flashes’ only goal.
The Wildcats then scored the next two goals in the 39th and 51st minute to put the game out of reach.
Looking ahead
Up next, The Flashes will travel to Toledo Thursday for the team’s first Mid-American Conference matchup.
Toledo is below KSU in the standings (11th place) with a 3-3-1 record, but the Rockets are on a two-game winning streak going into the game.
Kent State defeated Toledo last time out with a 4-1 victory last season. KSU has an all-time record of 20-14 against the Rockets.
The Flashes will look to find some success on the road and turn around their two-game slide in the first conference matchup of the season.
Emily Lowen is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
