Kentucky women’s soccer (8-3-0, 2-1-0 SEC) defeated Missouri (4-5-1, 1-2-0 SEC) by a score of 1-0.
Right off the start, Missouri started off very strong, pushing the offense up with a corner kick for within the first minute of the match.
Within the first five minutes of the match, the Tigers found the opportunity to shoot right on target, with a big save by Kentucky’s goalkeeper Khadijah Cisse.
Cisse, from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, received her first career SEC shutout in the win. Cisse played for CF Montreal Academy and is a member of Canada U-17 Women’s National team, which qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Close to the halftime mark, Kentucky started to become more possessive offensively, with a couple of free kicks opportunities, corner kicks and shots on target.
At the end of the first half the match was tied 0-0, with both teams working offensively and defensively, but still no shots on target.
The second half started back up with both teams coming out more hungry and very aggressive, Kentucky opened up the second half with a free kick.
In the last two minutes of the match, sophomore Tanner Strickland got fouled in the box to allow the Wildcats to score off a penalty kick by freshman Gabi Poretto, which was her first conference goal of the season.
“I mean, it was definitely a lot of relief, you know, just getting that win, at the end there,” Poretto said. “I think it went really well, I mean we fought all 90 minutes, got a good PK at the end and to win it off. So, just a good game to bounce back from the last one.”
Poretto, from Lithia, Fla., who played for IMG Academy all throughout her high school career. She was awarded First Team selection of the ENCL Midwest Conference.
“Gabi, being a freshman, not just obviously scoring a goal, but obviously scoring a goal with a minute left, but just throughout the game, she showed a lot, so Gabi played pretty well,” head coach Fabiano said.
With scoring in the last minute of the match, Poretto made sure to also hold down the back line, and work together with the rest of the defenders to not allow shots get behind the net.
“Yeah, I think as a center back, you kind of have to just be ready, for like the what ifs, we could lose the ball anytime, so just making sure we’re organized defensively, even when we have the ball,” Poretto said “I think we can work on our organization as a back line, you know, we’re a pretty new group. So, I think, learning our positions and our roles, it’s just going to be big as we go on.”
The Wildcats will be hosting No. 25 Alabama on Friday, September 26th at 7:30 p.m. ET at Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
