LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Auburn soccer team let a one-goal halftime lead slip away as it fell, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at Kentucky. The loss, which is just the second this year for Auburn when it held a lead, dropped Auburn’s record to 10-9-0, 6-6-0 SEC. Kentucky, the team directly in front of Auburn in the Southeastern Conference standings coming into the match, is now 12-5-1, 7-4-1 SEC.

 

“We felt good going into halftime with the lead but we knew the first 10 minutes of the second half was going to be critical,” Auburn Head Coach Karen Hoppa said. “Unfortunately we gave up a free kick and Kentucky scored a quality goal and that shifted the momentum. We still had chances and we still had looks but so did they, and they scored a second good goal on a corner.”

 

Auburn capitalized on back-to-back corner kicks in the 30^th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Bianca Sierra served in the second corner and when the Kentucky defender cleared it out of the box it went to a waiting Tatiana Coleman, who put one high and through the mitts of Kentucky goalkeeper Kayla King for her sixth goal of the season.

 

Auburn had a golden opportunity to take a two goal lead in the 34^th minute when Ana Cate drew a foul inside the Kentucky box. Given the opportunity to take the penalty kick, Cate’s kick went wide keeping it a one score match.

 

Kentucky wasted little time getting the equalizer out of the half, needing just 3:03 to tie it at 1-1. Kentucky also benefited from a set piece as Alyssa Telang dribbled in following a free kick feed and sent a cross to just inside the six for Arin Gilliland, who one-touched it past Auburn goalkeeper Amy Howard for her seventh goal of the year.

 

It was just over five minutes later when Kentucky again capitalized on a set piece, scoring off a corner in the 54^th minute. Telang served the corner in to Olivia Jester, who headed it in for the 2-1 Kentucky lead. The goal was the first allowed off a corner by Auburn all season while it was Kentucky’s third scored that way this year.

 

Howard finished the match with nine saves, one off her season high, while King had five for Kentucky.

 

Auburn’s only other loss this season when leading was a 2-1 overtime setback to Florida on Sept. 16.

 

The one goal game was Auburn’s 10^th of the season, with Auburn going 4-6-0 in those contests.

 

Auburn will play host to in-state rival Alabama for the Iron Bowl of Soccer trophy on Thursday at 7pm. Admission to the match is free.

 

Follow Auburn Soccer on twitter @AU_Soccer.