Cats, seniors look for coveted SEC postseason win

UK+senior+defender+Arin+Gilliland+defends+the+ball+against+Auburn+sophomore+forward+Samantha+Solaru+at+womens+soccer+vs.+Auburn+in+Lexington%2C+Ky.%2C+on+Sunday%2C+September+28%2C+2014.+Photo+by+Tessa+Lighty

UK senior defender Arin Gilliland defends the ball against Auburn sophomore forward Samantha Solaru at women’s soccer vs. Auburn in Lexington, Ky., on Sunday, September 28, 2014. Photo by Tessa Lighty

By Kevin Erpenbeck

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According to the players and coaches across all fields of sports, the key to a successful season is to “take it one game at a time.” It’s an age-old adage used to keep the team’s emotions in check and its collective minds focused on the season-long goal.

But where that strategy holds the most merit is in the postseason, where teams play one game at a time. Staying focused will be what the UK women’s soccer’s mindset will be this week as it prepares for the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala.

The Cats have excelled with that tactic in the regular season and during conference play, winning many SEC games throughout the years. But they have yet to win that coveted conference postseason match during the era of head coach Jon Lipsitz. UK holds an 0-4 record in Lipsitz’ five years in Lexington, a startling statistic considering that the team is comprised of successful seniors who are 57-26-3 overall and include one of the best women’s college soccer players in the country in SEC Player of the Year Arin Gilliland.

“They’ve done everything but that (winning a conference tournament game),” Lipsitz said of his seniors. “I guarantee you they’ll be talking a lot about that heading into it.”

Talk about it they did. Outside of winning the national championship in the NCAA Tournament (wishful thinking), Gilliland wants nothing more than to get that one win in the conference tournament and break UK’s SEC Tournament losing streak.

“That’s not going to happen this year,” Gilliland said of the continuous first-round knockouts. “I never like to give ‘for-sures’, but I’m going to give everything I have, and I know my team is going to do the same. We have a com pletely different attitude this year.”

That one game, that one win, is the Cats’ ultimate goal this year. Lipsitz wants to send the most talented group of seniors he’s ever had at UK off with the one win that will complete and rectify their legacy within the program.

The Cats have a shot at doing it this year. After a first-round bye, their first opponent is against Auburn in the quarterfinals, a team they’ve previously defeated this season. But Lipsitz said he won’t show or say much about that earlier victory over the Tigers, adding that the team knows what’s in store for them and what’s at stake this year.

“We’re just going to take it one game at a time, like we always do during the season,” said sophomore Kaitlin Miller in preparation for the tournament.

The one game is all the Cats need to focus on now, because it’s the only chance they’ll get to obtain that one postseason win.