Carolina Earns Draw Against No. 4 Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The South Carolina men’s soccer team earned a 0-0 draw against No. 4 Kentucky on Saturday night at the Bell Soccer Complex.
 
“I’m really pleased with mentality and the attitude of the lads,” said head coach Tony Annan. “They fought and created chances. We weren’t just sitting in and absorbing pressure, we actually played and took the game to them at times. They’re a very good team.
 
“100 percent, I saw grit. It was wet and cold against the No. 4 team who hadn’t been beaten all year. I saw grit and I saw fight.”
 
The back-and-forth match went a full 110 minutes and neither team put the ball in the back of the net.
 
Carolina (5-7-2, 1-3-2 C-USA) had a chance at goal at the end of each overtime period.
 
In the closing moments of the match, Logan Frost found himself with the ball right in front of the net. Frost put a shot on goal, but it was saved by Kentucky’s keeper.
 
Mark Roby had a chance of his own in the 99^th minute of play. He received a cross after the Gamecocks recollected from a denied corner kick. Roby’s shot went high, and the match went into a second overtime period.
 
No. 4 Kentucky (9-0-4, 2-0-4 C-USA) had chance after chance in the first half and did not convert on any of their looks a goal in the first 45 minutes of play.

Ryan Bilichuk started in goal for the Gamecocks. He saw 20 shots from the Wildcats and was credited with five saves. He fought off chance upon chance in the early proceedings. Kentucky had six corner kicks in the first 17 minutes of play.
 
The draw with No. 4 Kentucky is the first draw for Carolina against a ranked team since Oct. 15, 2019, when it tied No. 20 NC State, 0-0, in two overtimes. The Gamecocks tied their highest-ranked opponent since Oct. 18, 2006, when they tied No. 1 SMU, 1-1.
 
The Gamecocks will have a week between games. Carolina’s next match comes on at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30 against defending national champions and third-ranked Marshall in Huntington, West Virginia.