Kentucky looks to salvage a weekend split Sunday afternoon when the Cats meet South Carolina. UK and USC are set for a 12 p.m. EDT kickoff at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (5-6-1, 2-2-1) enters the match having been shut out in its last two matches against Auburn and Florida, while South Carolina (6-6-2, 0-3-2) comes to Lexington winless in its last four matches. The Gamecocks feature All-SEC defender Sarah Lentz, who scored the game winner in the Cats? 2-1 loss a season ago in Columbia.
Junior midfielder Jen Weakley leads Kentucky with four goals, and three more Cats have scored three goals apiece. Sophomore forward Elisabeth Jones leads the Cats with 10 points, and with her conference-leading six assists on the season, the Nicholasville native is on pace to threaten the school single-season assists record of 11 held by Annie Gage and Elizabeth Ramsey.
The Cats will be without the services of sophomore defender Ashley Janning, who was served with a red card Friday against Florida after swatting a Gator shot away from the goal with her hand. Janning has started 10 of 12 matches in the Kentucky backfield.
UK Coach Warren Lipka returns to the sidelines after serving his one-game suspension Friday due to a red card issued last Sunday against Auburn. Lipka holds a 7-2 record against his alma mater, though the Gamecocks have claimed the last two meetings. Lipka earned All-America honors as a Gamecock goalkeeper in 1986.
The first 100 UK students in attendance at Sunday?s match will receive free ?Go Big Blue? koozies, and fans also will have the chance to win $250 cash in the ?Kicks for Cash? at halftime. UK fraternities and sororities will participate in the ?Greek Chili Cook-off? between the UK-USC women?s soccer match and the Kentucky-Northern Illinois men?s soccer match, which is slated for 2:30 p.m.