On Sept. 30, the Kentucky men’s soccer team traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, looking to overcome a disappointing loss to intrastate-rival Louisville at home. The host Bearcats weren’t highly rated, and the Cats had played some solid matches approaching the mid-way point of the season. However, the Bearcats were no pushovers.
UK left the Queen City with its second-straight 1-0. The Cats’ record had fallen to 4-4-1 with three losses to unranked teams. Changes had to be made. And made they were.
Practices were earlier. Amenities were revoked. Philosophies were adjusted. And Greg Raber took over as goalkeeper.
“This is a program that has seen expectations raised the past few years,” Coach Ian Collins said. “We sat down as a team and reevaluated our goals and recommitted ourselves. It takes hard work and commitment. We expect to be, not hope to be, one of the top programs in the country. And that has paid off for us down the stretch.”
On Oct. 5, the Wildcats began their 2001 resurgence at Bowling Green. Raber guarded the UK net with vigilance, helping carry the Cats to a 3-1 win and a 3-0-0 record in Mid-American Conference play. They went on to win seven of their last eight, including a 1-0 victory over No. 15 Furman, which had not been shutout all season.
Along with Raber and a stifling defense, UK swept the MAC regular season, winning all six games to earn the program’s second straight regular-season title and first outright. On Saturday, Nov. 17, the Cats play host to Akron for the MAC Tournament title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
“We definitely want to win the MAC again,” Collins said. “And there is no better place to do it than at home. It would be great to win both MAC titles on our home field, in front of our fans. This is a big game with a lot riding on it. If we win, we keep playing. If we lose, we could be looking to next year. This game is huge.”
In nine games between the pipes, Raber, a second-team All-MAC selection, has surrendered just four goals for a MAC-leading 0.44 goals-against average, second in the nation only to Colin Rogers of Indiana. He has collected 22 saves and five shutouts, while the UK offense has registered 21 goals during the span.
Last weekend, the Wildcats dropped Bowling Green, 1-0, in the MAC semifinals for their 10th consecutive league win dating back to the 2000 conference tourney. In their last 11 home conference matches, UK is 10-0-1. Not a bad streak considering the quality teams the MAC has year in and year out.
In Akron, Kentucky takes on a team that has been used to winning. The Zips (10-5-1, 5-1-0 MAC) have won four of the last five regular-season league titles and won the tourney crown in 1998. They are only one of two teams in the MAC, along with former member Miami (Ohio), to hold a series advantage over the Cats at 5-2-1. However, one of UK’s two victories came in the regular-season finale two weeks ago, and the other came in the team’s only conference tournament meeting, 2-0 in 1996.
MAC Player of the Year Ilkka Jantti has been a leader for the Cats this season, having the most productive offensive campaign of his career. The UK defender has tallied 13 points on four goals and five assists. Up front, John Monebrake leads the Kentucky attack. A transfer from Ohio State, the MAC Newcomer of the Year has scored eight goals and three assists for 19 points.
Four other Cats also have contributed double-digit points this year: Chris Soler (15 points, seven goals, one assist), Antti Peltonen (13 points, four goals, five assists), J.D. Stephenson (11 points, four goals, three assists) and Nathan Fleetwood (10 points, three goals, four assists). In all, 11 different players have scored at least one goal for the UK cause this season. Peltonen, Stephenson and Fleetwood joined Jantti, Raber and Monebrake on the All-MAC team. On the year, UK has outscored its opponents by a 37-14 margin, with an 18-4 difference in MAC play.
The Zips also have outscored their opponents, but only by a 27-21 mark. Torbjorn Birkeland leads the way with 13 points on six goals and one assist, while Tim Cooper and Orjan Bjaneso have scored five and four goals, respectively.
In goal, Kyle Milligan is 10-2-0 between the pipes, collecting four shutouts in 12 games. His has snared 48 saves and conceded 12 goals for a 0.97 GAA.
On Saturday, the Zips will be looking to avenge their loss to the Cats for the regular-season championship by winning the tournament title. Kentucky, however, hopes that its early October changes keep its streak of winning the league championship intact.
