LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Lipscomb men’s soccer team is going home after a hard-fought, 2-1 loss to No. 3 Kentucky in the NCAA Sweet 16.
After a 1-7 record to start the year, the Bisons put up an incredible fight the rest of the way. They sneaked through the NCAA tournament with improbable overtime victories against Washington and UCF, but there wasn’t enough magic to give them another.
“This run that we’ve had … is in large part due to the leadership of our senior group,” Lipscomb coach Charles Morrow said. “And [I’m] just really, really proud of them.”
Lipscomb’s lone goal came from redshirt senior forward Logan Paynter in the 76th minute. Paynter finished his career with 36 goals – the most in Lipscomb soccer history.
“I love Lipscomb more than anything,” Paynter said. “My five years here have been the most amazing time of my life.”
His goal tied the game at one shortly after a Wildcat goal from Jason Reyes in the second period, but UK was able to respond with a game-winner from Bailey Rouse in the 81st minute.
The Wildcats outshot the Bisons 20-10, and nine of Kentucky shots were on target.
“Not necessarily the best soccer teams win,” Morrow said. “But sometimes just…the more athletic teams win.”
The first half was all Kentucky. The Wildcats had eleven shots in the first half, with junior forward J.J. Williams grabbing four. Lipscomb could only muster three first-half shots.
The Wildcats had only one roadblock: Lipscomb goalkeeper Chris Zappia. The redshirt senior grabbed six saves in the first 45 minutes, and many of those saves were physical stops on powerful shots.
“I knew they liked breakaways,” Zappia said. “I knew they liked to slip the ball in, and [I] left kind of the rest up to the way it played out.”
The second half began with more of the same offensive ineptitude from both teams, and Zappia didn’t see much work. Each team missed several prime scoring chances.
Kentucky finally struck in the 75th minute. The ball bounced around in the box, with multiple Lipscomb defenders trying to knock the ball away from the goal. But Wildcat freshman forward Jason Reyes knocked it in on a pinball shot.
Despite the sudden momentum, Lipscomb turned things right around 22 seconds later when Paynter responded with a goal of his own off a cross into the box.
Kentucky grabbed its second goal of the night off a penalty kick in the 81st minute. Freshman midfielder Marcel Meinzer lined up and kicked it diagonally to Rouse on a set piece. The sophomore midfielder chipped the ball off his chest to give UK the 2-1 lead.
“Incredibly proud of my guys for embracing the battle and the grind and respecting the opponent and keep working,” Kentucky coach Johan Cedergren said.
Sophomore goalkeeper Enrique Facusse grabbed a Lipscomb corner kick with 1:31 left in the match to seal the deal.
The Wildcats (19-1-1) will host Maryland in the Elite 8 next week, while the Bisons ended their campaign with an 11-10 overall record.
Gallery by Russell Vannozzi