Kentucky Wildcats knocked out by Wake Forest in NCAA soccer tournament Sweet 16
The University of Kentucky men’s soccer team fought to the finish Thursday night but could not find the goal it needed to extend its longest season ever.
The Wildcats attacked No. 5 seed Wake Forest relentlessly throughout the final 10 minutes but could not find the net for an equalizer in a 2-1 defeat in the NCAA Tournament round of 16 at Cary, N.C.
Wake Forest (13-2-2) advanced to an Elite Eight matchup Monday against Atlantic Coast Conference rival North Carolina. Monday’s other national quarterfinal matchups pit Marshall against No. 8 seed Georgetown, No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 6 Seton Hall and No. 2 Pittsburgh versus No. 7 Washington.
Marshall, the regular-season champion in the same league, Conference USA, in which Kentucky tied for third, advanced Thursday by upsetting No. 1 seed Clemson on penalty kicks.
Kentucky (12-5-2) played from behind most of the night against Wake Forest despite controlling the match offensively throughout. The Wildcats took six shots, including two on goal, during the first 13 minutes but could not score. Wake Forest’s first shot, by Kyle Holcomb, found the net in the 20th minute.
The Demon Deacons put things out of reach in the 62nd minute, expanding their advantage to 2-0 on another goal by Holcomb.
Kentucky’s lone point came four minutes later when Brock Lindow scored his team-best fifth goal of the season, a turnaround left-footer that bounced off the hands of Wake Forest’s goalkeeper.
Kentucky finished the match with an 18-8 advantage in shot attempts, including a 5-4 edge in shots on goal and also took seven corner kicks to Wake Forest’s four.
Nine of Kentucky’s 11 starters played all 90 minutes of the match. Clay Holstad, Marcel Meinzer, Luis Grassow, Bailey Rouse, Robert Screen, Leon Jones, Trey Asensio and Enzo Mauriz went the distance along with goalkeeper Enrique Facusse.
The NCAA Division I men’s soccer season normally plays out in the fall but crossed both the fall and spring this school year because of the pandemic. Kentucky played six matches in September and October, then returned for 11 more regular-season matches from February through April. The Wildcats opened NCAA Tournament play with a 2-0 win last Sunday over New Hampshire before bowing out against Wake Forest.
