LEXINGTON ? The Kentucky men?s soccer team kicks off the 2005 season on Friday night in the UK Invitational when it hosts rival Louisville at 7:30 p.m. at the UK Soccer Complex.
?I expect a very difficult game,? Kentucky head coach Ian Collins said. ?This is going to be a game that?s a war. I have a very healthy respect for Louisville?s program and I think this is about as difficult an opener as we can have.?
The UK Invitational kicks off Friday night at 5 p.m. when Alabama A&M takes the field against High Point. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to take part in activities in the parking lot, including inflatable games for children.
Fans will also have the opportunity to win two tickets to Sunday?s Governor?s Cup football game between Kentucky and Louisville at Commonwealth Stadium.
?I think we?ll have a big crowd and a really loud crowd,? Collins said. ?It?s going to be a great night for a game and hopefully we?ll have a great home field advantage.?
The Wildcats are coming off an 11-5-3 campaign in which they won the Mid-American Conference championship for the fourth time in five years, but were snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee after failing to win the conference tournament. This year UK makes the move to Conference USA, which is one of the top soccer conference in the nation.
Kentucky returns seven starters from that team, including preseason first-team All-American goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley North). The team also welcomes a large contingent of newcomers, that was proclaimed by collegesoccernews.com to be one of 12 incoming classes that will make the biggest impact in the country this year.
?I think we?ve got great potential and good young players,? Collins said. ?The team has a fantastic attitude and come out every day and train hard. We have to grow up a little more and gain more experience.?
In the preseason, the Wildcats came away with a pair of ties in contests against Michigan State and Oakland.
?We have to just try and get better from those games,? Collins said. ?We?re a long way from where we need to be, but there is a lot of talent on this team and we?re going to get there.?
While Kentucky holds an 8-2-3 advantage in the series, the games have always been close. Only twice in the series? 13 meetings has the game been decided by more than one goal.
?It makes no difference. We could be 0-19 and they could be 19-0 or vice versa, it doesn?t matter,? Collins said. ?In my years as a player and a coach, I?ve never seen any rivalry that was one-sided. It?s always a one-goal game and we?ve been lucky enough to be on the right side of most of them. But every game has its story and this one will be no different.?
The tournament wraps up on Saturday as Louisville faces High Point at 5 p.m. and UK meets Alabama A&M at 7:30 p.m.
