LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky used an early goal in the opening stages of the game and then iced the contest with a shorthanded goal in the 84th minute to post a 2-0 victory over James Madison on Sunday and win the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament Championship.
Kentucky (14-0-5) earns the Sun Belt’s automatic berth in the 2022 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament and is expected to be a top overall seed in the event. James Madison (8-8-4) entered the conference tournament as the seventh seed and made a magical run through the event to the championship game. The 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship Selection Show will be Monday at 1 p.m. ET live on NCAA.com.
The Wildcats started the scoring early, getting a goal from Luis Grassow in the fifth minute. UK controlled the ball in the early going, getting several looks at the net. It was Enzo Mauriz who took the initial shot in the scoring chance before it was blocked by a Dukes defender, bouncing right at Grassow, who used his left foot to finish it past James Madison goalkeeper Sebastian Conlon.
The Wildcats finished the first half with seven shots, six shots on goal, four fouls and one corner, while the Dukes had six shots, two shots on goal, one foul and five corners.
Both teams had a multitude of scoring chances in the second half, going back-and-forth with neither team able to find the net. The momentum seemed to switch in the 72nd minute when UK’s Eythor Bjorgolfsson showed great ball control to get past JMU defender Tyler Clegg before Clegg grabbed Bjorgolfsson with both hands, forcing him to the ground for a foul. The official issued a yellow card on Clegg, but reviewed the play and issued a red card on Bjorgolfsson for violent conduct.
That red card left the Wildcats playing a man down, but UK did not stop attacking in the offensive zone. After several scoring chances for JMU, the Wildcats found space and Danny Evans placed a perfect centering pass into the box for Mauriz to finish to clinch the UK victory in the 84th minute.
JMU ended up outshooting UK 14-13, while the Wildcats had a 9-5 edge in shots on goal. JMU had eight fouls to UK’s seven and 10 corner kicks to UK’s four. Kentucky’s Casper Mols had an incredible tournament for the Wildcats in the goal with just one goal allowed and two clean sheets.
This was Kentucky’s first Sun Belt Conference Tournament title in its first year in the conference. The Wildcats also won the regular-season title.
2022 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer All-Tournament Team
Clay Holstad (MF), Kentucky – Most Outstanding Player
Casper Mols (GK), Kentucky
Eythor Bjorgolfsson (F), Kentucky
Luis Grassow (D), Kentucky
Clay Obara (MF), James Madison
Melker Anshelm (D), James Madison
Tyler Clegg (D), James Madison
Jack Hilton-Jones (D), Georgia State
Simon Carlson (MF), Georgia State
Marcus Caldeira (F), West Virginia
Ryan Baer (MF), West Virginia