Kentucky men’s soccer (4-0-2, 1-0-0 SBC) opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 3-2 win over UCF (2-4-1, 0-0-1 SBC).
The first half of the match saw both offenses quiet. The teams combined for eight total shots, compared with 14 in the second.
After a defensive start, the Knights nearly struck just before halftime. In the 44th minute, UCF took a close shot on goal, but Sebastian Conlon made the save for Kentucky, keeping the match scoreless heading into the break.
With the second half underway, the Wildcats struck quickly with two goals in six minutes.
The goals were scored by junior forward Isaiah Chisolm and Sinan Solmaz, with Chisolm opening the scoring with a shot from outside the box in the 55th minute.
Five minutes later, Solmaz added a goal of his own, sparking what became a chippy second half.
While the first half ended quietly with just two yellow cards, the next 45 minutes told a different story. Nine yellow cards were issued in the second half.
“It makes everything so much more hectic,” Chisolm said. “I think the refs are trying to get a hold of the game, and we’re trying to get a hold of the game, but I think it’s just important that we keep our heads.”
The yellow cards worked in the Wildcats’ favor and proved to be the difference.
A yellow card issued to UCF’s Younes Boudinar set up a Kentucky free kick outside the box.
In the 75th minute, Kentucky’s Bertil Alban capitalized with a goal, giving the Cats a 3-1 lead that held for a 3-2 win.
Claudel N’goubou scored UCF’s final goal in the 84th minute before a shoving match broke out. A Wildcat was shoved into the back of his own net, resulting in a yellow card for N’goubou.
After four straight losses to UCF — including back-to-back defeats from 2023-24 — Kentucky was eager to snap the streak, especially after a tough loss last season in Orlando.
“We knew this season they had to come to us,” Chisolm said. “They had to deal with our home fans, which was amazing tonight, and we’re going to give them our best game when they come to us.”
Chisolm, in his third season, had experienced both previous losses to the Knights. This year, he opened the scoring and helped lead Kentucky to the win.
A key component of Kentucky’s success has been ball control and second-half aggression. Entering the match, the Wildcats had taken 24 first-half shots across all games this season and 53 in the second halves.
This match was no different, with three first-half shots and 11 after the break.
Kentucky returns to action Tuesday, Sept. 23, facing No. 12 Louisville in the Battle of the Bluegrass at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT, with the match streaming on the ACC Network.
