LEXINGTON ? The 17th-ranked Kentucky soccer team returns home for the first time in nearly two weeks when it hosts Florida International in a crucial Conference USA battle on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the UK Soccer Complex.

The Wildcats (9-4-2, 2-2-1 C-USA) are currently tied for fourth place in the league standings with seven points (three points per win, one point per tie) and are just one point clear of the Golden Panthers (6-6-2, 2-3-0). The teams holding down the three through seven spots are all within three points of each other.

The game is the first at home for UK since beating UCF 2-1 on Oct. 11. In two road contests since, the Wildcats are 0-1-1, falling to UAB and tying Marshall.

The return to the Commonwealth should be a welcome one for Kentucky, which is 8-1 this year at home and currently riding a five-game win streak. With another home victory, UK would tie the school record of nine home wins set in 1998.

Meanwhile, FIU is coming off a huge 2-0 victory over Memphis on Wednesday and have has now won back-to-back C-USA contests.

Last season, the two teams fought to a 1-1 draw on a muggy night in Miami. Kentucky scored first in the 26th minute and then sat back trying to preserve the lead. The strategy produced wild statistical numbers as FIU fired off 35 shots in the contest and eventually broke through in the second half to tie the match.

Saturday?s contest is the first between the Wildcats and Golden Panthers in Lexington. Both previous meetings came in Miami with FIU holding a 1-0-1 advantage in the series.