Photo by Ethan Rand | UK Athletics

Hello, and welcome to the Bluegrass Soccer Cast NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Soccer Recap for the week of September 4th – 10th. This is a weekly recap that will recap all Division 1 soccer programs, in the beautiful Commonwealth of Kentucky, matches from the previous week with some small bits of analysis in there. 

For coverage on the college programs that are NCAA D2/D3, NAIA, or NCCAA, please check out our weekly score report. Note: The BGSC College Cup is a competition for all levels to see who is the best (men or women) college soccer program in the state.

Now, let’s check in on how Kentucky’s big dogs did this past week –

Please note that we would love to give in-depth analysis of all matches but we are just 3 freelancers doing our best to give coverage to all things soccer in our beloved Commonwealth. Records are presented in (Win-Loss-Draw) format.

Bellarmine

Men (1-1-3)

Bellarmine 0 NKU 0

Bellarmine Blanks Northern Kentucky But Settles for Draw

The Bellarmine Men’s Soccer team notched their first shutout of the season on Monday night, playing Northern Kentucky to a 0-0 draw at home.  It was a tightly contested match between the regional rivals, with both teams struggling to find the breakthrough goal.

The Knights held a 14-8 edge in shots and dictated more of the play, especially in the second half. But NKU goalkeeper Nic Lemen came up with some big saves to keep Bellarmine off the board.

Senior goalie Matthew Brozovich earned the clean sheet for the Knights, saving all four shots on target. Late chances by Colin Elder and Thomas Stickley nearly found the winner but just missed.

While Bellarmine no doubt wanted all three bounce points in the BGSC College Cup, Chastonay focused on the positives. The resilient Knights have now played to three draws since starting the season. With a steady defense and attack-generating opportunities, Bellarmine appears poised to break through. If they play with the same intensity, that breakthrough could come soon.

Bellarmine 2 Eastern Illinois 0

Bellarmine Starts Fast, Rolls Past Eastern Illinois

The Bellarmine men’s soccer team finally broke into the win column on Saturday, opening up an early lead and cruising past Eastern Illinois 2-0 on the road. Freshman midfielder Calle Sjoberg got the Knights on the board first, corralling a header and burying a shot in the 16th minute for his second goal of the season. Junior midfielder Brendan Schoemehl then made it 2-0 just over five minutes later, arching a textbook header into the net off a free kick.

Backed by another strong defensive performance and the scoring punch up top, Bellarmine controlled the match from start to finish. The Knights held decisive 14-8 and 8-1 edges in overall shots and shots on goal, respectively. Goalkeeper Matthew Brozovich only needed one save to preserve the clean sheet.

After three straight draws, this convincing victory finally gets Bellarmine into the win column.  The Knights will look to keep building momentum when they open conference play Saturday at Central Arkansas.

With both the offense and defense clicking, Bellarmine appears primed to make some noise in ASUN play.  They will begin conference play on Saturday (Sept. 18) on the road at Central Arkansas. After some early season growing pains, this team seems to be finding its stride.

Women (3-2-2)

Bellarmine 1 Morehead 1

Orozco Equalizer Earns Knights Road Draw at Morehead

The Bellarmine women’s soccer team rallied to secure a 1-1 draw at Morehead State on Thursday behind a second-half equalizer from sophomore Alexa Orozco. Morehead State struck just 58 seconds into the match, stunning the Knights early. But Bellarmine controlled possession and unleashed 14 shots in the opening half alone. 

The pressure paid off after the break when Orozco buried a penalty kick in the 58th minute, knotting the score at 1-1. It marked her first goal this season. Buoyed by the stalemate, Bellarmine extended its unbeaten streak to four straight. The Knights have surrendered just one goal during the four-game span.

Orozco and freshman Lauren Bingham spearheaded a Bellarmine attack that managed 18 shots, including a sterling 16 on goal. With their lethal tandem up front and stingy defense, the Knights continue trending upward. They’ll look to keep rolling Sunday at nationally ranked Xavier.

Bellarmine 0 #21 Xavier 2

Xavier Hands Knights Loss in Final Tune-Up 

The Bellarmine women’s soccer team suffered its second defeat Sunday, falling 2-0 at No. 21 Xavier in the final tune-up before ASUN play. Xavier scored early and late to hand the Knights the loss after a four-game unbeaten streak.

Sonia Vargas netted in the 11th minute to give the Musketeers an early edge. Bellarmine hung tough defensively behind a combined 13 saves from goalkeepers Cambria Kingman and Natalie Schutte. But Xavier iced the match late with a goal in the 86th minute.

Despite the loss, Bellarmine exits nonconference play at a solid 3-2-2. With ASUN action on deck, the Knights gained valuable experience against another NCAA Tournament-caliber foe. Kingman and Schutte, a Xavier transfer, formed a steadying last line of defense. The Knights will need that stability during the gauntlet of conference play.

Bellarmine’s next test comes Thursday at Austin Peay in the ASUN opener. With non conference trials behind them, the Knights turn the page to the games that matter most.

Eastern Kentucky (1-5-1)

EKU 0 vs. NKU 2

The Colonel fell in their 2nd instate match of the season 2-0 at home to the Norse of NKU on Thursday afternoon. The match was only the 2nd time the Colonels have been shutout this year.

The Colonels fell behind early when the Norse found the back of the net in the 29th minute when Wilmes headed in a cross from Belroseand then doubled their lead in the 68th minute on an Olympico (goal from a corner kick) from Yordy.

The match was a tightly fought defensive affair, with only 7 shots on goal from both teams but the Colonels were unable to find an offensive spark, launching only 2 shots on goal the entire game, and only 1 shot in the first half entirely. They will need to find some offense before conference play starts as they have only scored more than 1 goal just 1 time all year with 3 of their 4 losses being by 1 goal.

EKU 0 at Miami (OH) 1

The Colonel’s offensive struggles continued in their 1-0 loss on the road against the Redhawks of Miami. The result is the 2nd straight match that the Colonels have been shutout in.

The lone goal in the match would come in the 61st minute with the Colonels having no answer with their attack not even managing a shot on goal. However, the Colonel’s defense deserves some praise as they weather a 15 shot storm by the Redhawks with 4 corner kicks in the 2nd half alone.

EKU will kick off ASUN conference play on the road at Lipscomb on Thursday, September 14th at 7 pm EST/6 pm CST before hosting Austin Peay on Sunday September 17th at 1 pm EST/12 pm CST.

Kentucky

Men (3-2-0)

#19 UK 2 at #7 UofL 4

The Wildcats entered a losing streak when their comeback efforts fell short against the red hot cardinals on Tuesday night 4-2. The result also marks the first time the Wildcats have lost back to back games in the regular season since October of 2017 (UK did lose 2 exhibition matches in a row back in the spring of 2020).

The Cardinals dominated the entire game, going up 3-0 by the 57th minute. However, freshman forward Isaiah Chisolm (Yorktown, Va.) would prevent the Wildcats from being shut out when he found the back of the net in the 62nd minute assisted by Casper Grening (Roskilde, Denmark) for his first career goal for the Wildcats. The Cards answered right back in the 72nd minute to go up 4-1 before Logan Dorsey (Evergreen, Co) got the Wildcat’s 2nd and final goal in the 80th minute off an assist by Brennan Creek (Kalamazoo, MI). 

Sophomore keeper Casper Mols made a career high 9 saves for the Wildcats, but the effort was in vain as the Cards had his number all night. The Wildcats need to figure out their defense if Mols is going to keep them in games.

#19 UK 3 vs. Lipscomb 2

The Wildcats played with the hearts of the home crowd on in their 3-2 comeback win over Lipscomb on Friday night to get back in the win column to end their 2 match skid.

Libscomb jumped out to their 2-0 first half lead early, netting both goals in the first 25 minutes of the match. However, the Cats were not about to lose 3 straight matches and they came out in the 2nd half as a team on a mission. 

Kentucky managed to tie the match 14 minutes into the 2nd half, with Dorsey scoring in his 2nd straight match to get the Cats on the board in the 55th minute assisted by Chislom, quickly followed by senior forward Aboubacar Camara (Philadelphia, PA.) in the 59th. Chisholm would join Dorsey in scoring in 2 straight matches when he scored the game winner for the Wildcats in the 77th minute. Mols put in another strong effort for the Cats in goal with 4 saves despite the 2 goals allowed.

The Wildcats will host the Gamecocks of South Carolina on Friday, September 15th at 7:30 pm EST/6:30 pm CST.

Women (6-0-1)

UK 3 vs. Belmont 0

The Wildcats extended their unbeaten run to 6, and their winning streak to 3 on Thursday when they rolled over Belmont 3-0 at home. 

For once, Rhodes did not score for the Cats, ending her goal scoring streak at 5 matches. Senior midfielder Úlfa Úlfarsdóttir (Hafnarfjordur, Iceland) would get the Cats on the board early in the 2nd minute off a (hockey) assist by Strickland and Hoytink. The Wildcats would be held scoreless for the remainder of the half but would extend their lead when Maya Lacognato (Granger, IN) found the back of the net in the 49th minute. Freshman Ella Kane (Macomb, MI) would cap off the scoring for the Cats in the 84th minute for her first collegiate goal. Marz Josephson would extend her shutout streak to 3 matches while picking up 1 save in the match as well.

UK 3 at Iowa State o

The Cats have now won 4 straight matches without conceding a single goal, and remain unbeaten on the year after their 3-0 road win over the Cyclones of Iowa State.

Kentucky would get their first 2 goals back-to-back with Úlfarsdóttir scoring in her 2nd straight match in the 23rd minute, assisted by freshman Tanner Strickland (Tampa Bay, Fla.). Strickland would get her own goal just 2 minutes later in the 25th minute for her first of her career with 5th year Sophia Caruso (Pasadena, CA) assisting in the effort. Fellow 5th year midfielder Payton Robertson (Toronto, Canada) would cap off the scoring for the Cats in the 74th minute for her first on the year with sophomore Maddie Eastmen (Charlotte, NC) picking up the assist. Josephson would pick up 2 saves in the shutout effort.

The Cats will have a light week with just 1 match coming up when they head down to College Station to take on Texas A&M on Friday, September 15th at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST.

Louisville

Men (4-0-1, 0-0-1 in ACC)

#7 UofL 4 #19 UK 2

No. 7 Louisville Powers Past #19 UK in Governors Derby

The 7th-ranked Louisville men’s soccer team earned bragging rights over in-state rival Kentucky on Tuesday night, defeating the 19th-ranked Wildcats 4-2 at home in the Governor’s Derby.  

The Cardinals controlled play from the outset, imposing their will on both ends of the pitch. Louisville outshot Kentucky by a whopping 26-9 margin in the match. Louisville got on the board first when Konstantinos Georgallides finished off a cross in the 9th minute to put the Cardinals up 1-0. The lead grew to 2-0 just before halftime as Gage Guerra headed in a cross from Damien Barker John. Guerra struck again early in the second half, pouncing on his own rebound off the crossbar to notch his second goal of the night. The transfer forward has made an immediate impact since arriving from Army, leading Louisville with five goals already this season. After Kentucky got on the board at the hour mark, Louisville quickly responded as Parker Forbes put back a rebound in the 74th minute. The Cardinals cruised the rest of the way to remain undefeated at 4-0-0.

The win marked Louisville’s fourth straight victory over the Wildcats. Head coach John Michael Hayden has to be thrilled with his team’s high-powered offense that seems to be clicking on all cylinders. The Cardinals will hit the road for their next test against ACC for Syracuse on Friday night. Riding a wave of momentum, Louisville will look to make a statement against the reigning national champions

#7 UofL 2 # 4 Syracuse 2

Guerra’s Late Heroics Secure 2-2 Draw for No. 7 Louisville at Defending National Champs

The 7th-ranked Louisville men’s soccer team rallied to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw on the road against 4th-ranked Syracuse on Friday night. Gage Guerra netted the equalizer in the 89th minute to salvage the result for the Cardinals. Louisville grabbed an early lead when Guerra rifled home a shot in the 11th minute for his sixth goal over the last four matches. However, Syracuse responded quickly with a penalty kick just over a minute later to pull even at 1-1. 

The Orange then took the lead in the 33rd minute after capitalizing on a Louisville turnover. Syracuse controlled play for much of the first half, outshooting the Cardinals 12-2. But Louisville regrouped at halftime and started creating more chances. The pressure finally paid off late as Guerra was in perfect position to knock in a corner kick and tie the game at 2-2.

The last-second heroics from Guerra allowed Louisville to remain unbeaten at 4-0-1 on the young season. It was a gutsy performance to rally and earn a point on the road against the reigning national champions. Head coach John Michael Hayden has to be thrilled with his team’s resilience. The Cardinals have shown they can win games in different ways during this hot start.

Louisville will look to keep rolling when they return home to face Virginia Tech on Friday night. But they should carry plenty of confidence after this hard-fought draw against one of the nation’s elite teams.

Women (1-4-3)

UofL 0 Indiana 2

Cardinals Stifled in Shutout Loss at Indiana

The Louisville Women’s Soccer team struggled to generate offense again on Thursday night, falling 2-0 on the road against the Indiana Hoosiers. The loss dropped the Cardinals to 1-3-1 on the season.

Indiana jumped ahead early when Piper Coffield finished off a corner kick in the 9th minute. The Hoosiers controlled possession in the first half and took a 1-0 lead into the break. In the 47th minute, Elle Britt doubled Indiana’s advantage with a shot that deflected in off the far post. That would prove to be all the scoring on the night. Louisville managed just 5 total shots in the match. The offense lacked creativity and rhythm all game long against the stingy Hoosier defense.

Cardinals goalkeeper Erynn Floyd was busy in the net, tallying a career-high 9 saves to keep Louisville within striking distance. But the Cardinals’ attack could not break through.

Despite the setback, Louisville has shown the ability to compete with talented teams. They’ll need improved offensive execution to get back in the win column in ACC play.

UofL 2 Wyoming 2

Late Equalizer Costs Cards in Draw with Wyoming

The Louisville women’s soccer team conceded an 88th minute equalizer in a 2-2 home draw with Wyoming on Sunday. The late goal extended the Cardinals disappointing non-conference run. Louisville is now just 1-4-3 in non-conference action this season after opening the year with lofty expectations. 

The Cardinals have struggled to finish out games, win tight contests, and hold leads. Against Wyoming, Louisville jumped ahead early on an own goal off a corner kick. But the Cowgirls equalized in the 34th minute to make it 1-1 at the break. 

In the second half, Addie Chester put the Cardinals back in front in the 77th minute with her second goal of the season. But the lead would not hold, as Wyoming scored off a corner kick with just minutes remaining to steal a point.

The draw with Wyoming caps a disappointing non-conference slate for Louisville. With only 1 win in 6 matches, the Cardinals failed to notch the statement victories they expected over top competition. ACC play starts next weekend as Louisville hopes for a reset. But the Cards will need to grow up quick or the program’s NCAA Tournament streak could be in serious jeopardy.

The Cardinals will open ACC play at home verses Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7 PM.

Morehead State (1-4-2)

Morehead St. 1 vs. Bellarmine 1

The Eagles could not pull away the victory in the 1-1 draw against in-state rival Bellarmine on Thursday, extending their winless run to 4 straight matches.

The Eagles would get the lead early, with 6th year midfielder Collen Swift (Loveland, Ohio) finding the back of the net within 57 seconds of kickoff. The Knights would dominate the first half trying to find their equalizer with Eagles star keeper Gibbs making 6 saves in the first half, but they would finally break through in the 58th minute to level the match. It would be a battle of defenses in the final 30 minutes, as no side could find a winner.

Gibbs would tally 7 total saves on the night, but she needs some help from the Eagles attack or their winless run will continue to grow.

Morehead 0 at NKU 3

The Eagles winless streak extended to 5 matches on Sunday afternoon as they got dominated on the road by in-state rival NKU.

The Norse would dominate the match offensively, rifling off 12 shots on goal. Gibbs would make 9 saves while being under fire all afternoon, but she is human. The Norse would find the back of the net 2 times in the 1st half within 16 minutes of kickoff and capped off the scoring in the 67th minute. The Eagles offense struggles continued, as they could only manage 5 shots on goal, they will need to find an offense spark soon as they begin conference play.

Morehead will play 2 matches this coming week. First, they will host UNC Asheville on Thursday, September 14th at 4 pm EST/3 pm CST before hitting the road to start conference play against Little Rock on Sunday, September 17th at 2 pm EST/1 pm CST.

Murray State (2-6-0)

Murray State 1 Oklahoma 5

Racers Overmatched in Lopsided Loss at Oklahoma

The Murray State women’s soccer team faced a tall task on the road against Oklahoma on Thursday night and unfortunately came up short in a 5-1 defeat. The Sooners flexed their muscles early, scoring in the 6th minute. Sydney Etter managed to equalize for the Racers just over a minute later, but it was all Oklahoma after that.

The Sooners retook the lead in the 27th minute and then blew the match open with three quick goals to start the second half. Murray State simply had no answer for Oklahoma’s dynamic attack.

While Coach Matt Lodge will be disappointed in the final score, Oklahoma is one of the premier programs in women’s soccer. The Sooners were likely always going to overmatch the Racers in talent and depth. Murray State will need to have a short memory after this humbling loss. With Ohio Valley Conference play opening on Sunday, the Racers must regroup quickly and shift their focus to beating SEMO on their home pitch.

Despite the skewed defeat, Murray State proved they can score against high-level opponents like the Sooners. But they will need to defend much better during the MVC schedule if the Racers hope to compete for a conference title this season.

Murray State 0 Southeast Missouri State 2

Racers Stumble Down the Strech in Final Non-Conference Tune-up 

The Murray State women’s soccer team ended their non-conference schedule on another sour note, falling 2-0 to SEMO at home on Sunday.

The Racers were hoping to bounce back from their lopsided loss to Oklahoma. But SEMO put Murray State behind early, scoring in the 47th minute. The Redhawks added another goal in the 61st minute to seal the result. Murray State had their chances, putting half of their shots on frame. However, the Racers could not capitalize while SEMO made the most of their opportunities.

With Missouri Valley Conference play on deck, this was a match the Racers would expect to win on their home pitch. The loss shows Murray State still has more work to do as they look towards defending their regular season MVC title. 

Coach Matt Lodge will need his team to be sharper in the final third and tighter defensively when reigning MVC tournament champion Missouri State comes to town next Sunday. With the conference schedule here, the Racers need to start gaining points immediately to stay in the hunt. Dropping their final tune-up match is not ideal preparation, but Murray State’s season truly begins now with the MVC slate ahead.

Northern Kentucky

Men (0-1-3)

NKU o at Bellarmine 0

The Norse tied for the 3rd straight match on Labor Day night against in-state rival Bellarmine, with sophomore keeper Nic Lemen (Cincinnati, Ohio) earning his first shutout of the year.

NKU would play this match with a heavy focus on defense, launching only 4 shots total on target out of 8 shots they took, but they would hold the Knights to the same number of shots on target, keeping 11 of the Knights shots from finding an angle on goal. However, the Norse need to find some offense if they want to get their first win of the season.

NKU 1 vs Robert Morris 2

The Norse finally had a result that was not a draw, but sadly it was in the loss column and not the win column with the 2-1 results at home against Robert Morris for NKU’s first loss of the year.

NKU would open the scoring for the match when senior defensive midfielder Roberto Burlew (Cincinnati, Ohio) assisted graduate forward Sam Robinson (Oxford, Ohio) goal in the 29th minute to give the Norse the lead heading into the half. The 2nd half would be a different story. 

Robert Morris would level the game in the 77th minute before netting the game winner with just 3 seconds left on the clock, breaking the hearts of the 315 Norse fans in attendance.

The Norse will look to bounce back as they enter a long road trip, first squaring off against Bowling Green on Tuesday, September 12th at 7 pm EST/6 pm CST before kicking off conference play against Oakland on Saturday, September 16th at 1 pm EST/12 pm CST.

Women (3-1-3)

NKU 2 at EKU 0

The Norse extended their unbeaten run against their bitter rival the Colonels of EKU on the road, shutting down the home side and finding the back of the net twice.

Senior forward Sofia Wilmes would open the scoring in the 30th minute for her first goal of the season, with sophomore forward Meghan Belrose picking up the assist. NKU would find their 2nd goal when junior defender Lilly Yordy scored her first goal on the year unassisted in the 69th minute. The Norse defense would dominate the Colonels attack, holding EKU to just 2 shots on goal and 3 corner kicks. The Norse seem to be finding their stride as conference play grows near.

NKU 3 vs Morehead 0

The Norse’s upbeat run has reached 6 matches, with an active shutout streak of 5 as well with their dominating 3-0 win over the rival Eagles of Morehead.

Graduate defender Jamie Lehker would bag her first goal of the year off an assist from Yordy when she found the back of the net in the 4th minute. NKU would get their 2nd goal 12 minutes later when freshman midfielder Kylie Anderson netted her 3rd goal of the year unassisted in the 16th minute. Freshman forward Erykah Cornett would cap off the scoring in the 67th minute to bag her first goal of her young career with sophomore Shay Shipley getting the assist. The Norse were so dominant defensively in this affair that 3 keepers got minutes for the Norse.

NKU will kickoff conference play on Thursday, September 14th at home against IUPUI with kickoff scheduled for 7 pm EST/6 pm CST before hitting the road to Youngstown State on Sunday, September 17th at 1 pm EST/12 pm CST.

Western Kentucky (1-2-5)

WKU 0 Evansville 0

More Frustration for WKU in Scoreless Draw at Evansville 

The early season struggles continued for the WKU women’s soccer team on Thursday night as they played to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Evansville. The stalemate drops the Lady Toppers’ record to a disappointing 1-1-5 on the year.  

For the third straight game, WKU failed to find the back of the net. The Lady Toppers have generated just three goals over their last five matches after opening the season with six goals in the first two games.

The offensive woes wasted another strong defensive performance, including three saves from goalkeeper Maddie Davis to preserve her fourth shutout. But at some point, Head Coach Jason Neidell has to take some heat for the team’s lack of creativity and production on the attacking end. This is now WKU’s third straight season with a slow start under his watch.  

At 1-1-5, the Lady Toppers have a long way to go and for a program with NCAA Tournament aspirations, that is far from acceptable. If Neidell can’t find answers soon to get WKU back on track, his long tenure as head coach may be in jeopardy. The team’s lackluster performances reflect poorly on him as the leader of this program.

With conference play nearing, WKU is running out of time to turn things around. The match at Evansville marked another missed opportunity that Neidell’s squad can ill afford.

WKU 1 Purdue 2

Another Loss Puts More Pressure on Neidell and Toppers

The WKU Women’s soccer team dropped another maddening match on Sunday, falling 2-1 at Purdue to move their record to 1-2-5 on the season. The Lady Toppers scored early but gave up two second-half goals to the Boilermakers. The loss wasted another stellar effort from junior Kayla Meyer, who scored her second goal of the year. But once again, WKU struggled to maintain consistency and hold a lead.

With just one win in their first eight matches, the seat has to be getting warm for head coach Jason Neidell. His squad has underperformed expectations coming into the season. While Neidell has accumulated achievements in his two-decade tenure at WKU, the program has seemingly lost its edge this season. We have to ask, does he have the ability to get the Lady Toppers back on track?

If the Lady Toppers continue to struggle when Conference USA play starts this week, it’s fair to question how much time Neidell has left to right the ship. The Lady Topper will get this first tast of conference paly on Thursday as the host their heated rivals, Middle Tennessee. This will either mark the low point in the season, or a turning point for the Toppers. 

That wraps up this week of the Bluegrass D1 Recap, tune in all season long for updates on your favorite college teams throughout the beautiful commonwealth, and make sure to stick to Bluegrass Soccer Cast (@BGSoccerCast on all social media platforms) for full coverage of everything soccer in our beautiful Commonwealth.