Oct. 7, 2001
KENTUCKY WILDCATS (8-2-0/2-0-0 SEC)VS. FLORIDA GATORS (7-2-1/3-0-0 SEC)PERCY BEARD STADIUMGAINESVILLE, FLA.SUNDAY, OCT. 7, 2001 * 2 p.m.
UK-UF GOALIES: Junior Jordan Kellgren of Florida and UK senior Beth Wells are tied atop the Southeastern Conference’s shutout chart this season with five apiece. Kellgren was named the SEC Player of the Week for Oct. 2, while Wells earned the honor the week of Sept. 17. Both goalkeepers earned shutouts on Friday night as Florida defeated Vanderbilt 4-0 and UK blanked South Carolina 1-0.
BOYCE MOVES UP: Junior forward Keri Boyce ascended one spot on the UK career-goals list when she knocked in the game-winning goal vs. South Carolina on Friday night. Boyce, a 2000 first-team All-SEC selection, is now tied with teammate Annie Gage in third place with 27 goals. Carrie Staber (1995-1998) ranks second with 28 and Kim LaBelle leads with 44 from 1994 to 1997.
GAGE INCEASES LEAD: Assisting Boyce’s game-winning goal on Friday night, senior defender Annie Gage increased her UK career assists record to 30. Junior Elizabeth Ramsey, sitting out this season with a torn ACL, is behind Gage with 21 assists.
LIPKA STAYS UNBEATEN VS. ALMA MATER: Kentucky improved to 7-0 overall vs. South Carolina with Friday’s 1-0 victory at Eugene E. Stone Stadium. UK coach Warren Lipka, an All-America goalkeeper for the Gamecocks, was named the 1985 adidas College Goalkeeper of the Year at USC.
BACK IN THE LINEUP: Sophomore defender Kara McCue returned to the Wildcat starting lineup after missing last Sunday’s match vs. New Mexico at the UK Soccer Complex. A quad contusion suffered in UK’s 2-0 loss to Arizona State (9/28/01) hampered McCue.
RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME: The Gamecocks appeared to have the game tied at one when a USC shot on goal brought Wells to the left of the net for a stop. The ball rolled left as it deflected off Wells but McCue, knowing her goalie was out of position as the ball was in front of an open goal, became the Wildcat keeper. USC midfielder Melissa Hutson fired a shot and McCue kicked it away, allowing Wells to recover her positioning in the UK net.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Warren Lipka will try for his first win over the Florida Gators today at Percy Beard Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. UF, owning an 8-0 series lead over UK, brings a 7-2-1 record into today’s contest, including an undefeated 2-0 SEC mark.
WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN: The Wildcats will aim to halt the nation’s longest current conference winning streak this afternoon as the Gators have won 48 consecutive SEC games. Last season, Florida defeated UK 5-3 in the regular season and 2-1 in the semi-finals of the SEC Tournament.
HEAD COACHES: Warren Lipka (South Carolina, 1986) owns an overall 118-71-9 record and is 8-2-0/2-0-0 SEC in his tenth season at UK. Florida coach Becky Burleigh (Methodist, 1989), in her seventh year at UF, is 208-46-10 overall and 126-23-5 at the helm of the Gators.
RANKINGS: Kentucky enters today’s match at No. 16 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas Coaches Poll. Florida, the highest ranked SEC team this week, is ranked 13th nationally by the NSCAA.
– UK –
