Photo by Chris Carter | Louisville Athletics

Hello, and welcome to the Bluegrass Soccer Cast NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s soccer recap for the week of August 28th – September 3rd. 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 Commonwealth Cup is an all levels competition to see who is the best (Men and 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. Record is presented in (Win-Loss-Draw) format.

Bellarmine

Men (o-1-2)

Bellarmine 0 UofL 3

Louisville Hands Bellarmine 3-0 Loss in Derby City Derby

The Bellarmine men’s soccer team faced a tough test on Monday night, falling 3-0 on the road against crosstown rival Louisville. The Cardinals came out firing, scoring twice in the first 25 minutes to seize control. Bellarmine attempted to regroup at halftime, generating a couple of chances early in the second half. But Louisville added the putaway goal late when Ethan Subachan finished in the 77th minute.

Despite the loss, Bellarmine head coach Tim Chastonay saw positives to build on. “I was proud of how we competed in the second half and created some opportunities against a quality opponent.” “Louisville is an extremely talented team,” said Chastonay. “We needed to match their energy from the opening whistle and unfortunately dug ourselves too big of a hole early on.” 

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Knights, who face a quick turnaround with a Friday match at Purdue Fort Wayne. The journey continues for the Knights as they look to regroup following this early season crosstown setback.

Bellarmine 2 Purdue Fort Wayne 2

Bellarmine Shows Heart in Dramatic Draw at Purdue Fort Wayne 

The Bellarmine men’s soccer team demonstrated tremendous resolve on Friday, overcoming a two-goal deficit and a man disadvantage to dramatically tie Purdue Fort Wayne 2-2 on the road.

The Knights found themselves in an early hole, trailing 2-0 at halftime. But they came charging out of the gates after the break, cutting the lead to 2-1 just three minutes into the second half on a goal by junior Brendan Schoemehl. Bellarmine’s comeback bid then became even more challenging when they went down a man in the 57th minute due to a red card. But the shorthanded Knights persevered and found an equalizer in the 88th minute through freshman Jeffrey Cox to salvage the gritty draw.

“I’m incredibly proud of the fight and spirit our guys showed being a man down for over 30 minutes,” said Bellarmine head coach Tim Chastonay. “They banded together and earned a hard-fought point against the odds.” “The resilience we showed today will serve us well going forward,” said Chastonay. “I saw guys step up in big moments and it’s a great building block as we continue our journey.”

In addition to losing a player to a red card, emotions boiled over on the Bellarmine bench as well, leading to another ejection. Yet through it all, the Knights overcame the adversity. 

Cox’s late heroic goal was the first of his career. The thrilling sequence exemplified Bellarmine’s teamwork as the ball pinballed between several players before finding Cox for the clutch finish. Somehow, the shorthanded Knights also outshot the Mastodons 9-8, displaying their heart and tenacity through a turbulent second half.

Bellarmine’s next test comes Monday when they host Northern Kentucky in a BGSC Commonwealth Cup match-up. If they bring the same fight and spirit, expect more success to follow.

Women (3-1-1)

Bellarmine 2 Evansville 0

Knights Ace First Road Test With 2-0 Win

The Bellarmine women’s soccer team passed its first road test of 2023, defeating Evansville 2-0 Thursday night behind goals from Brielle Heuglin and Lauren Bingham. Heuglin continued her stellar start, netting her third goal of the season in the 32nd minute for her second straight game-winner. Bingham provided insurance with her first collegiate goal in the 72nd minute, sealing the 2-0 victory.

A pair of junior goalkeepers, Cambria Kingman and Natalie Schutte, combined on the shutout as the Knights won their second in a row. Bellarmine withstood 16 Evansville shots, including eight on goal, flexing its defensive muscle again after blanking Indianapolis last time out.

The Knights have now allowed just two goals over four games, a promising sign as ASUN play nears. With veterans like Heuglin and promising rookies like Bingham now contributing, Bellarmine appears to be coming together.

After passing their first road test, the Knights will look to keep things rolling against Chicago State.

Bellarmine 2 Chicago State 1

Bingham’s Brace Powers Knights to Record Win Streak

Led by a pair of goals from freshman Lauren Bingham, the Bellarmine women’s soccer team held off Chicago State 2-1 on Sunday to set a program Division I record with its third consecutive victory.  

Bingham struck twice in a two-minute span early in the first half to stake the Knights to a 2-0 advantage. Her second finish came off an assist from sophomore Lucy von Stefenelli. The Cougars got one back on a free kick just outside the box in the second half. But Bellarmine’s defense tightened up to protect the slim lead down the stretch.

At 3-1-1, the Knights are off to their best five-game start since transitioning to DI. Anchored by Bingham’s emergence up front, the arrow is pointing up for Bellarmine. Junior goalkeeper Cambria Kingman also continued her stellar play, helping stifle the Cougars attack to earn her third win in four starts.

The Knights will put their record win streak on the line Thursday when they visit Morehead State in a BGSC Commonwealth Cup match up. Buoyed by impact freshmen like Bingham, the future is bright for rising Bellarmine.

Eastern Kentucky (1-1-3)

EKU 1 at DePaul 2

The Colonel’s quest for their first win of the season fell short on the road in Chicago against the DIBS of DePaul in a 2-1 loss on Thursday. The result would be the 3rd straight match for the Colonels to score.

Freshman standout winger Ruby Dunlevy (Cold Spring, Ky.) would notch her 2nd goal of the season in the 11th minute to open up the scoring for the match. Junior forward Gretta Gunn (West Chester, Ohio) assisted Dunlevy on the goal, picking up her 2nd of the season and her 10th of her career, passing alum Jordan Foster to become the Colonel’s all-time assist leader. The Colonels would do their best to try and widen their lead, but DePaul was able to equalize in the 36th minute, with the match level 1-1 going into the half.

The DIBS would put the Colonels on their backfoot for the 2nd half, dominating possession while getting off 9 shots and 5 corner kicks. The Colonel’s defense would stand firm, with junior keeper Marah Krick (Glenmoore, Pa.) picking up 4 out of her 5 saves in the 2nd half. Sadly, the DIBS offense would wear down the Colonel’s defense to find the match-winning goal in the 81st minute. 

Colonel’s coach Matt Cosinuke stated after the match, “Obviously, we’re disappointed in the result, coming to a quality Big East opponent, we needed to take advantage of what we are good at, I think DePaul took advantage of some individual moments, scored two goals, and deserved their result. It’s another learning lesson for us as we continue to mature and grow as a program, nothing is given, everything is earned. We have to continue to put our foot on the gas, this is not the time to feel sorry for ourselves, we have to continue to get better and at a fast pace.”

The Colonels would return home for their 2nd match of the week for a Sunday afternoon clash against Eastern Michigan.

EKU 2 vs Eastern Michigan 1

The Colonels picked up their first win against the Eagles of Eastern Michigan on Sunday at home with a 2-1 result that would also mark the first multi goal match of the 2023 campaign. 

The Colonels would make the 2nd half comeback in this one after falling behind the Eagles 1-0 in the 27th minute. The Colonels were applying pressure on the Eagles defense throughout the 1st half, firing 10 shots. However, the defense stepped up to prevent the Eagles from running away with the match, especially senior keeper Melanie McKeown (Springfield, Ill.), who made 6 of her 9 saves in the 1st half alone in her first-ever career start. 

The 2nd half would be all Colonels, with senior midfielder Kyle Fitzgerald (Olmstead Falls, Ohio) picking up the equalizer in the 52nd minute for her first goal of the year, assisted by senior defender Mackenzie Burdick (Cincinnati, Ohio) and senior forward Gretta Gunn (West Chester, Ohio); Gunn leads the Colonels in assists this season with 3 and extends her program record to 11 career assists. However, the match’s hero would be sophomore midfielder Payton Payne (Clarence, N.Y.), who scored her first collegiate goal and the match-winner in the 67th minute to lift the Colonels to their first win of 2023.

The Colonels will have a pivotal match in the BGSC Commonwealth Cup on Thursday, September 7th, when they host in-state rival NKU for a 4 pm EST/3 pm CST kickoff. They will then travel to Ohio on Sunday, September 10th, to take on the Redhawks of Miami at 1 pm EST/12 pm CST.

Kentucky

Men (2-0-1)

UK 1 vs. ESTU 0

The Wildcats would get their first test of the 2023 campaign on Monday night against Lexington SC’s captain Charlie Machell’s alumatter Eastern Tennessee State in a 1-0 home win at the Bell.

The match would be a slugfest, with both sides applying pressure to the other. However, both sides’ defense would stand firm with a bit of physicality, with 19 fouls (14 for ESTU) in the match. The Wildcats offense was snuffed out for most of the night, not managing a single shot in the first half and only 3 total shots in the match.

Now, while they only managed 3 shots, the Wildcats did have the shot that mattered in the end, with senior forward Ben Damge (Mason, Ohio) bagging the match-winner in the 88th minute for his first goal of the season. Damge was assisted by freshman midfielder Alfred Baafi (Techiman, Ghana) and sophomore defender Max Miller (Lexington, KY).

The day after the match, UK would move up in the nation rankings to the #2 team in the country before they travel up to Wisconsin to take on the Badgers in a Friday night clash for the Wildcat’s first road match of the year.

UK 0 at Wisconsin 1

The Wildcats suffered their first regular season loss since 2021 after falling 1-0 on the road to Wisconsin on Friday night. The loss would end a 19-match regular season unbeaten run. 

The sole goal of the night would come early for the Badgers, finding the back of the net just 2 minutes into the match. The Badgers shut down the Wildcast’s offense, holding them to just 4 shots in the match with just 3 corner kicks. The Wildcats were also undisciplined, committing 17 fouls and picking up 5 yellow cards. The one bright side of the match for the Wildcats would be the 6 saves made by sophomore keeper Casper Mols (Aabenraa, Denmark), who bounced back after the early goal to keep his squad in it.

The Wildcats will have a major test on Tuesday, September 5th, when they will travel to take on in-state rival #13 Louisville at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST in a massive match for the BGSC Commonwealth Cup before returning back home on Friday, September 8th against Lipscomb at 7:30 pm EST/6:30 pm CST.

Women (4-1-0)

UK 4 vs. UT Martin 0

The Wildcats dominated the Skyhawks 4-0 on Thursday to bounce back from the 1-1 draw against Valparaiso. The match would extend the Wildcat’s unbeaten run to 4 matches.

The Cats would get on the board early, with (who else) graduate forward Jordyn Rhodes (South Lebanon, Ohio) finding the back of the net in the 4th minute for her 4th straight match with a goal and her 5th goal of the year; Rhodes was assisted by senior defender Grace Phillpotts (Fenton, MI). 3 other Wildcats would join Rhodes on the scoresheet, all in the 2nd half. Senior defender Taya Hjorth (Commerce Township, MI) would snag her first goal of the year in the 56th minute, assisted by graduate forward Maya Lacognato (Granger, IN). The Cats would get their final 2 goals within 6 minutes of each other when senior forward Mia Bookhard (Upper Marlboro, MD.) padded the Cats’ lead in the 72nd minute and assisted sophomore forward Katelyn Fishnick (Sauk Prairie, WI) goal in the 78th minute. Graduate defender Maria Castaldo (Orland Park, IL) would assist Bookhard in her goal. Graduate keeper Marz Josephson (Apex, N.C.) would get the shutout in the match with a reasonably effortless performance with just 1 save.

The Wildcats would host the Fighting Illini of Illinois for Senior Day on Sunday afternoon.

UK 1 vs. Illinois 0

The Cats continued their hot start on Senior Day in their 1-0 victory over Illinois on Sunday afternoon. The result extended the Cat’s unbeaten run to 5 matches and would be the side’s 2nd straight home shutout.

The Wildcat’s goal-scoring star Jordyn Rhodes would get the one goal in the match in the 27th minute to extend her streak to 5 straight matches with a goal and 6 on the season. Rhodes (42 career goals)now sits just 2 goals shy of the Cats all-time leader Kim LaBelle’s 44 goals. The other star for the Cats was graduate keeper Marz Josephson, who made a career-high 7 saves to secure her 2nd straight shutout and 3rd on the year. Josephson would be crucial for the Cats early on, making 4 of her saves in the first 16 minutes. The win also marks the 3rd straight win over a Power 5 opponent in non-conference play for the Cats, returning to their victories over Purdue and Iowa State last year. 

The Cats will have 2 matches this week, hosting Belmont on Thursday, September 7th at 7:30 pm EST/6:30 pm CST before traveling out to Iowa to face the Cyclones of Iowa State on Sunday, September 10th at 2 pm EST/1 pm CST.

Louisville

Men (3-0-0)

UofL 3 Bellarmine 0

Cardinals Notch Victory in Derby City Derby with Knights

The University of Louisville men’s soccer team asserted their dominance on Monday night with a commanding 3-0 win over Bellarmine at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium. This victory marks the Cardinals’ second consecutive shutout win and signals a strong start to their season by beating their cross-town rivals in the Derby City Derby.

Louisville, now boasting a perfect 2-0-0 record, owes much of their success to goalkeeper Alex Svetanoff, who secured his second clean sheet of the season.

The scoring began early as Gage Guerra netted his first goal in a Louisville uniform in the 15th minute, courtesy of a precision cross from Konstantinos Georgallides. Sander Roed added to the lead in the 23rd minute, slotting home a pass from Bryce LeBel. In the 77th minute, Quinton Elliot’s expertly weighted pass set up Ethan Subachan, who chipped the goalkeeper for his first collegiate goal, sealing the 3-0 victory.

Louisville outshot Bellarmine 17-5, with eight shots on target compared to Bellarmine’s one.

With two shutout wins and a potent offense, the University of Louisville men’s soccer team is off to an impressive start in the 2023 season.

#13 UofL 2 UNC Greensboro 0

No. 13 Cardinals Stay Unbeaten with Third Straight Shutout

The University of Louisville continued their impressive start to the season with a flawless 2-0 victory over UNC Greensboro on Friday night, securing their third consecutive shutout in as many matches. That’s right, they have yet to concede a goal this season. Louisville (3-0-0) showcased their defensive prowess once again, marking the first time the Cardinals have kicked off the year with three consecutive clean sheets since 2009.

The early stages of the match saw Gage Guerra stepping into the spotlight once more, scoring his second goal of the year in the ninth minute. Guerra capitalized on a precise pass from Sander Roed, ensuring the Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead.

Despite controlling the first half with eight shots and five corners, Louisville held onto their narrow lead at halftime. The Cardinals wasted no time in the second half, as Konstantinos Georgallides dribbled skillfully toward the end line before delivering a perfectly timed pass into the box. Quinton Elliot seized the opportunity, netting his first career goal to double Louisville’s lead to 2-0. Louisville maintained their dominance, outshooting their opponents 16-9 and securing a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks. On the other side of the field, the Louisville defense stood strong for the remainder of the game. Goalkeeper Alex Svetanoff turned aside five on-target shots from UNC Greensboro to extend his very impressive scoreless streak in goal.

The Cardinals will now turn their attention to the highly anticipated annual rivalry match against the previous #3 Kentucky on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium. With their unbeaten record intact and a rock-solid defense, Louisville will be looking to continue their impressive early-season form in this exciting matchup. They have been really impressive to watch and should give the Wildcats their second L (😉) in a row. 

Women (1-3-2)

UofL 1 Illinois 2

Illini Hand Cardinals Third Straight Defeat

The Louisville women’s soccer team suffered their third consecutive loss to open the season, falling 2-1 at home to Illinois on Thursday night. The defeat dropped the Cardinals to 0-3-2 on the year in what has been a hugely disappointing start.

Illinois controlled the flow early and jumped ahead 1-0 in the 12th minute on a goal from Sydney Stephens. Louisville struggled to create chances and trailed 1-0 at halftime. The Illini extended their lead to 2-0 just after the break when Lia Howard found the net.

Facing a two-goal hole, Louisville finally showed life late in the match. Savina Zamborini cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 83rd minute but the Cardinals ran out of time to find an equalizer.  

“We dug ourselves too big of a hole tonight,” said Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. “You can’t wait 70 minutes to start playing with energy and urgency.”

Through five matches, the Cardinals have scored only two goals while allowing six. The attack has sorely lacked creativity and clinical finishing. Meanwhile, the defense has been inconsistent. The slow start is quickly putting postseason hopes in jeopardy. With only a 0-3-2 record, Louisville has significant ground to make up heading into ACC play. But so far, Louisville has failed to meet expectations and is still searching for answers in this disappointing beginning.

UofL 3 EMU 0

Louisville Shows Signs of Life in Shutout Win

The Louisville women’s soccer team earned their first victory of the season on Sunday night, defeating Central Michigan 3-0 at home. Sophomore Molly Cochran recorded her first career brace to lead the Cardinals attack. 

Cochran opened the scoring in the 14th minute, finishing off a cross from Ravin Alexander. The goal marked the first of Cochran’s collegiate career. She doubled Louisville’s lead in the 52nd minute after following up a shot from Alexander. Sandwiched between Cochran’s goals was the first career tally for freshman Addie Chester. Chester cut inside and fired a right-footed curler in the 55th minute to make it 2-0. Alexander provided key assists on both of Cochran’s goals. The Cardinals controlled possession throughout and limited Central Michigan to just two shots. Goalkeeper Erynn Floyd earned her third shutout of the season.

“It was great to get the first win under our belt,” said Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. “We looked much sharper in the attack tonight.”

After scoring just one goal in their first three matches, Louisville’s offense came alive against the Chippewas. The multi-goal effort will provide a confidence boost heading into ACC play. The Cardinals will hit the road this Thursday to face Indiana in their final road non-conference tuneup. If Cochran, Chester, and Alexander can continue producing, Louisville seems poised to start stringing together victories. If they don’t, this will be a long ACC season for the Cards.

Morehead State (1-1-3)

Morehead St. 0 vs. Wright St. 0

On Wednesday, the Eagles earned their first shutout of the year in a 0-0 draw against Wright State. The match would be the 2nd straight without a goal for the Eagles.

Both sides would rely heavily on their defenses, as the Eagles managed 9 shots with 3 on target, with Wright State firing off 14 but having only 2 on target. If you love corner kicks, then you enjoyed this match as there were 15 combined (8 for Wright State and 7 for Morehead) in this match. Sophomore keeper Erin Gibbs (Mesa, Ariz.) recorded her 5th career shutout and her first of the year with her 2 saves.

The Eagles then traveled down to Austin Peay for a Sunday afternoon affair.

Morehead 1 at Austin Peay 2

The Eagle’s woes continue as they fall 2-1 on the road to Austin Peay on Sunday afternoon to extend their winless run to 3 straight matches.

The Eagles would give up the 2 goals early, with the Governors finding the back of the net in the 22nd and 35th minute. The Eagles would quickly answer back to the 2nd goal when freshman forward Hedda Ornberg (Gothenburg, Sweden) notched her 2nd career goal in the 37th minute, assisted by junior forward Erin Fite (Cincinnati, Ohio). The Eagles would give it their all to find an equalizer but ran into a stellar performance by the Governor’s keeper Bahn, who made 9 saves with her defense standing firm through 10 corner kicks by the Eagles.

The Eagles will have 2 state matchups this week, hosting the Knights of Bellarmine on Thursday, September 7th at 6 pm EST/5 pm CST before traveling north to face NKU on Sunday, September 10th at 1 pm EST/12 pm CST.

Murray State (2-4-0)

Murray State 0 Lindenwood 1

Late Goal Sinks Racers Against Lindenwood 

The Murray State women’s soccer team suffered a tough 1-0 road loss to Lindenwood on Thursday after conceding a late goal in the 83rd minute.

The Racers held the Lions scoreless through the first 82 minutes and appeared headed for a 0-0 draw. However, Lindenwood’s Anna Johnson finally broke through scoring the game-winner to hand Murray State a heartbreaking defeat.

The Racers had some scoring chances of their own but could not find the back of the net. Sydney Etter and Tori Schrimpf each had 2 shots, with Etter putting 1 on frame. But Lindenwood’s goalkeeper kept Murray State off the board.

The loss ends the Racers’ modest 1-game winning streak as they dropped to 1-4 on the season. Allowing a late goal to lose a tightly contested match is certainly a disappointing result for Murray State. Coach Matt Lodge will need to keep his team motivated as they continue a tough 4-game road trip at UT Martin on Sunday. 

Murray State 2 UT Martin 1

Racers Edge UT Martin to Earn a Road Victory

The Murray State women’s soccer team picked up a vital 2-1 road win against their former OVC rivals UT Martin on Sunday. The victory comes as the third of a stretch of 4 straight away matches for the Racers.  

Murray State came out firing, with Chloe Barnthouse scoring in the 11th minute off an assist from Mary Hardy. Barnthouse’s goal was her first of the season. The Racers carried the 1-0 lead well into the second half before Hailey Cole provided a critical insurance goal in the 53rd minute. Cole’s strike proved to be the game-winner, the 3rd of her career.

UT Martin narrowed the deficit late, but Murray State did enough to see out the win.

This was precisely the type of match Coach Matt Lodge would expect his Racers to win against a beatable, former conference foe like UT Martin. Coming off a disappointing late loss to Lindenwood, Murray State needed to get back on track; and they did just that. The Racers will look to finish the road trip strong at Oklahoma University in Norman, Okla. on Thursday.

Northern Kentucky

Men (0-2-0)

The Norse did not play a match last week. NKU will travel to face the Knights of Bellarmine tonight, Monday, September 4th, at 7 pm EST/6 pm CST on ESPN+ for a match that could shake up the BGSC Commonwealth Cup standings.

The Norse will return home to host Robert Morris on Saturday, September 9th, at 7 pm EST/6 pm CST.

Women (1-3-1)

NKU 0 at Ohio 0

The Norse extended their unbeaten run to 4 straight matches and 3 straight shutouts in the 0-0 draw on the road to the Bobcats of Ohio University.

Senior keeper Mickayla Kowalski (Harrison, Ohio) would be the difference maker for the Norse, as she recorded a career-high 12 saves – the 2nd most in a single match in program history. Kowalski has gone 293 minutes without allowing a goal over the Norse 4-match unbeaten run, with 3 shutouts and 21 saves. The Norse were dominated by the Bobcats attack, who fired off 24 shots to the Norse 6, but thanks to Kowalski’s career night escaped Ohio with a draw.

The Norse will have 2 matches that could lead to some shakeup in the BGSC Commonwealth Cup standings as they will travel down to Richmond to take on the Colonels of EKU on Thursday, September 7th at 4 pm EST/3 pm CST before hosting the Eagles of Morehead on Sunday, September 10th at 1 pm EST/12 pm CST.

Western Kentucky (1-1-4)

WKU 0 North Alabama 0

Lady Toppers Settle for Disappointing Draw Against North Alabama

The WKU women’s soccer team ended in a frustrating 0-0 tie against North Alabama on Friday night at home. The deadlock moves the Lady Toppers’ record to 1-1-3 on the young season. 

WKU controlled possession and outshot the Lions 12-8, but they were unable to find the finishing touch. The Lady Toppers also held a 6-6 edge in shots on goal. Ambere Barnett, Rylee Finol, Brooke Sleeva, and Rachel Dewey led WKU with two shots each. But no one could break through for the Lady Toppers.

Goalkeeper Maddie Davis was solid once again, notching six saves for her second shutout of the season. However, the WKU offense couldn’t reward her effort.

The stalemate has to be seen as disappointing for WKU after the strong start to the homestand. With just one win in their opening six matches, the Lady Toppers are still seeking consistency. 

WKU will wrap up this opening homestand against Belmont looking to end on a higher note. The Lady Toppers need their attacking players to step up and convert chances to build momentum heading into conference play.  While the defense has been steady, the offense must find a spark for WKU to reach its potential. Friday’s disappointing draw underscored that necessity.

WKU 0 Belmont 0

Lady Toppers Play Belmont to Frustrating 0-0 Draw

The WKU women’s soccer team settled for a 0-0 tie against Belmont on Sunday afternoon, their second consecutive home draw. The stalemate moves the Lady Toppers’ record to a disappointing 1-1-4 on the young season. 

On a hot day, WKU controlled possession and outshot Belmont 14-3, including a 6-3 edge in shots on goal. But time and again, the Lady Toppers failed to find the finishing touch. This team currently seems to miss the ability to finish their chances. While this has not yet really hurt the Toppers, it may during conference play

Sydney Ernst had WKU’s best chance, heading a shot just over the bar. Brooke Sleeva also had a prime opportunity saved by the Belmont keeper. Goalkeeper Maddie Davis earned her third shutout with three saves and is the early MVP of this season. However, the WKU offense couldn’t reward her efforts yet again.

After scoring five goals in their first two games, the Lady Toppers have managed just one goal in their last four matches. The scoring woes are quickly becoming a concern. Following a 1-1-4 start to this homestand, head coach Jason Neidell has to be disappointed in the results. Adjustments need to be made to get the offense back on track.

The Lady Toppers have to hope the change of scenery can help them rediscover their scoring touch. Back-to-back scoreless draws at home were not the way WKU wanted to close this opening stretch. With just two games left until conference play, the Lady Toppers need answers quickly.

WKU will now hit the road for their first away matches this week. They will start the week on Thursday at the University of Evansville and then shift northward on Sunday as they face Purdue. 

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.