Oct. 11, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s soccer team hits the road once again for the second-consecutive weekend, as the Wildcats travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the Tennessee Lady Vols on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET before making the journey to Athens, Ga., to take on the Georgia Bulldogs for a Sunday game at 2:00 p.m. ET.
“I have really been impressed from what I’ve seen from Tennessee,” UK fourth-year head coach Jon Lipsitz said. “I think they are a tremendous defending team and have given up very few goals in the SEC, but they are also very dangerous on attack. I think one of the special things is that they can have 11 players attack and 11 players defend together. It’s obvious that Brian (Pensky) and his staff have done an incredible job and we look forward to playing them.”
Tennessee and Kentucky split the 2011 season series, with UK capturing a win in the regular-season meeting with a 106th-minute Natalie Horner goal in the second overtime frame to take the 1-0 win over then No. 14 Tennessee. The Lady Vols beat the Wildcats in the 2011 SEC Tournament 2-1.
The Lady Vols lead the all-time series with a 12-9-0 edge; however of the eight meetings in Knoxville, the two teams have split 4-4-0, including a 1-0 Kentucky victory in their last trip to Rocky Top.
UK has not defeated UGA since the 1999 season, which is UK’s longest streak of that type against any Southeastern Conference team. The Bulldogs are 6-7-2 on the season, and are led in the scoring column by Meghan Gibbons and Bella Hartley who each have scored four goals on the year.
The Wildcats’ lone goal last weekend was scored by sophomore defender Arin Gilliland, who now is co-leading the team with 12 points on the season. Gilliland shares the honor with freshman Courtney Raetzman who has four goals and four assists on the season. Wildcat freshmen have made an incredible impact, logging 28 of the teams 67 points this season, while also accounting for 11 goals.
The breakdown shows that Raetzman, Kelli Hubly, Cara Ledman and Cailin Harris have netted 11 goals and six assists. Hubly and Raetzman, natives of Elk Grove, Ill., lead the team with a team-high four goals apiece.
The Wildcats currently have 10 points in the SEC table, currently sitting in a tie for sixth place with Vanderbilt and Arkansas. The top 10 teams in the standings qualify for the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
