UK had an upset on its mind in NCAA Tournament. An Indiana freshman had other ideas.
After fighting off an upset bid in double overtime in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last week, the University of Kentucky men’s soccer team was looking to pull off a stunning victory in the role of road underdog. A young Hoosier forward had other ideas.
Freshman Victor Bezerra scored every goal as Indiana pounded Kentucky 3-0 in the round of 32 in Bloomington on Sunday, giving the No. 5 overall seed Hoosiers a jolt of momentum as they seek the program’s ninth national championship. Indiana has now gone 38 straight matches without losing at home — a streak that dates to 2017. It was the first career hat trick for Bezerra and the first for Indiana since 2012.
Bezerra gave the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute. He scored again nine minutes later, then put the Cats away with his third goal 17 minutes into the second half.
“That third goal was special,” Hoosiers Coach Todd Yeagley said, according to a news release from Indiana. “The ball comes off his foot heavy. It was a special goal in a big game.”
Indiana’s defense held the Cats to just seven shots. UK’s best chance to score was thwarted in the second half when Hoosiers goalkeeper Roman Celentano made a diving stop, one of his four saves on the afternoon.
“Three goals look great,” Yeagley said, “but our team defense was outstanding. We gave Kentucky very little. We took them out of everything. That’s what I was most pleased with. Great defense this time of year is the formula that gives you the best chance to advance.”
Kentucky ends its season 13-5-3, having achieved the second-highest win total in Coach Johan Cedergren’s eight-year tenure. The Wildcats won a program-record 19 matches last year as they made a run to the Elite Eight.
UK was able to put together another successful campaign despite being forced to reload after losing one of the best players in program history. JJ Williams skipped his senior season and was selected in the first round of the 2018 Major League Soccer Draft after being named Conference USA Player of the Year and a first-team All American.
Kentucky is poised for a return to the NCAA Tournament next year. The Wildcats will lose just one senior, backup goalkeeper Jackson Hawthorne.
“I’m really proud of the team,” Cedergren said after Sunday’s loss. “They battled. It’s been a really good season.”
This story was originally published November 24, 2019 at 5:45 PM.
