University of Louisville
KENTUCKY
Cards and Cats Battle to Scoreless Tie
September 23, 2007 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 23, 2007
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 27th-ranked University of Louisville and instate rival Kentucky battled for 110 minutes on a warm first day of autumn in the Derby City, but neither team could solve the other as the game ended in a scoreless tie Sunday.
It was the second consecutive double overtime effort for the Cardinals, who opened the BIG EAST slate with a 1-0 win over Cincinnati Friday. The Cards are now 6-1-1 on the season.
"We were very good in the first half, and if we can capitalize on some of our opportunities, I think the result might have been different," said Head Coach Karen Ferguson.
"I refuse to make excuses, but the minutes we played Friday and heat today showed. Both teams left it all out on the field today."
Louisville's Shannon Smyth put an early shot on net in the second minute, but UK keeper Sydney Hiance made the save.
The Wildcats (6-0-2) responded with an early scoring chance of their own when forward Laura Novikoff's header was swept off of the back line by Cardinal defender Jessica Mello in the fifth minute.
Monique Gjini skimmed the crossbar on a free kick after a Kentucky foul beyond the top of the 18 set up a direct kick. Minutes later Jen Avila broke in to contest a ball that was sent into the box by Gjini, and was able to win it from Hiance, but a Wildcat defender kept it out of the net.
Smyth nearly converted a beautiful cross from Gijini in the 25th minute, but Hiance made a point blank save inside the six.
In the waning minutes of the first half, the Cats' Nathalie Bolder's header off a corner kick sailed high, sending the teams into the break scoreless.
Louisville outshot the Cats 9-2 in the opening 45 minutes.
The second half continued much like the first, with the Cardinals holding an 8-4 advantage in shots.
Kentucky's best scoring chance of the second half came when Nicloa Holdsworth's shot was stuffed by Cardinal keeper Joanna Haig, who smothered the attempt at close range in the 81st minute.
With temperatures uncharacteristically warm in the mid 90's, the heat slowed the pace a bit in extra time. Shots were 4-3 in favor of Kentucky in the two overtime periods.
Haig made three saves to preserve the shutout, her fifth in eight matches on the season, and 13th of her career. Hiance made seven saves for the Cats.
Avila and Smyth paced the Cardinals with five shots apiece, as U of L outshot UK 20-10 for the match. Shots on goal were 8-4 in favor of the Cards.
The Cardinals will host defending national runner up Notre Dame on Friday at 7:00 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast on a tape delayed basis by WHAS-TV.
