LEXINGTON, Ky. — After one of the most successful seasons in the history of the UK soccer program, the 2007 edition of the Wildcat men?s soccer team kicks off its season with the annual UK Invitational, as the Wildcats face off with the Cornell Big Red on Friday at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kickoff of game one, pitting IUPUI vs. UNC-Asheville, is set for 5 p.m. ET, while the UK season-opening match with Cornell is set for 7:30 p.m. The invitational continues on Sunday, as IUPUI takes on Cornell at Noon and UK squares off with UNC-Asheville at 2:30 p.m. ET.
It is the first meeting between the Wildcats and Cornell, while UK owns an 8-0 all-time record against UNC-Asheville, with the last meeting coming in a 6-0 UK victory in 2006. UK head coach Ian Collins, in his 16th season at Kentucky, enters the contest merely one win shy of his 150th all-time victory at UK.
In 2006, Kentucky totaled 14 wins, netted a school-record tying 44 goals, and finished second in the rugged Conference USA, one place shy of SMU, which spent the majority of the season as the top-ranked team in the nation. The Wildcats sported a program best No. 13 national ranking, paced by an electric offense and a physical defense.
UK must replace two of the best players in program history in Riley O?Neill and Michael D?Agostino, two players currently playing in European professional leagues. O?Neill led the club with 17 goals, including a school-record seven game winners. D?Agostino finished second in points, registering six goals and six assists.
While the Wildcats have big guns to replace in O?Neill and D?Agostino, UK returns a talented nucleus of young and experienced players, including C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Nathan Marks and defensive mainstays Barry Rice, Andrew Alexander, and Matt Weiler. Offensively, UK will look to Mark Halma, Masumi Turnbull, and Jase Griffiths to carry the load for the Wildcats. Kentucky will get a significant boost from newcomers Jirijoonas Kanth (MF), Aaron Swanson (F),Luke Maitland (F), and Issam Sawtarie (D).
Last season, UK swept the Invitational, picking up a 3-0 win over Florida Atlantic and a 2-1 victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay. UK owns an all-time 8-7-1 record in season lidlifters, including having won its last two season openers.
