Some psychologists say that seeing the color pink invokes feelings of calmness and tranquility. Thursday’s contest between Kentucky and Missouri certainly backed up that claim, as the Wildcats looked the calmest they had in any SEC game this season in a 1-1 draw against the pink-shirted Tigers. The tie moved Missouri to 2-4-2 in conference play and 5-7-3 on the season.
While the scoreboard read 0-0 for most of the first half, it was far from the defensive masterclass Missouri endured against Mississippi State in their last contest at Walton Stadium. The Wildcats connected on several through balls into open space, but couldn’t capitalize on any of them. Bella Carrillo was a superstar on defense, thwarting a number of cross attempts and would-be shots on goal.
Finally, with just over 3:30 to go in the first half, Kentucky caught a break. Substitute midfielder Úlfa Úlfarsdóttir drew a foul in the penalty box and cashed in the penalty kick to put the Wildcats up 1-0 heading into the half. It marked the first time Kentucky had led at halftime since Sept. 11 against Eastern Michigan.
Throughout most of the second half, both defenses tightened up the closer the ball got to the net. Kentucky did an excellent job of keeping Missouri on the sidelines, as they made the middle of the field look like the Atlantic Ocean (or the Pacific, or Arctic, or Indian, or Southern, whichever one you like best) with the myriad of blue jerseys clogging the area. The Tigers really struggled to connect on passes on Kentucky’s side of the field. Up until very late in the match, Missouri’s best scoring chance came with 17 minutes to go in regulation. Jenna Bartels received a great set-up pass about ten yards from the goal; no one but Kentucky goalkeeper Tallulah Miller stood in her way. Unfortunately, Bartels skied the shot attempt, encapsulating a frustrating night for the Tigers on offense.
Then, just as most hope seemed lost for Missouri, the higher soccer powers gave the Tigers a gift. With just over eight minutes to go, Kylee Simmons kicked a prayer from beyond the half-field line, hoping that the ball would bounce favorably. Two Kentucky defenders crashed into each other a-la Prayer at Jordan-Hare, and the ball bounced right in front of Kylie Dobbs with Miller once again being the only Wildcat in the way of the goal. This time, however, the ball found the back of the net, as Dobbs’ fourth goal of the season knotted the game at one. The score would stay that way as the final horn sounded.
This was a frustrating draw for Missouri. Kentucky came into Thursday night winless in conference play, having been outscored 16-6 in seven SEC games. In their last game against two-win Florida, the Wildcats needed a goal in the 79th minute to salvage a draw. With the SEC tournament nearing, Missouri needed to win the games they were supposed to win, and this was one of them. The Tigers will look to rebound when they head to College Station to battle Texas A&M on Sunday, where they’ll look to capture their first road victory of 2022.