The No. 27 University of Kentucky men’s soccer team returns from a two-game road trip for a mid-week contest against intrastate-rival Louisville on Wednesday, Sept. 26. Action gets underway at the UK Soccer Complex at 7:30 p.m.

UK (4-2-1, 2-0-0 Mid-American Conference) comes into the matchup following two wins to open MAC play: a 3-1 victory over Western Michigan and a 4-0 triumph at Northern Illinois. The weekend sweep gave the Cats sole possession of first place in the league.

John Monebrake paces Kentucky with nine points on a team-leading three goals and three assists for second place in the MAC. Antti Peltonen, this week’s MAC Player of the Week, and J.D. Stephenson each scored three goals to lead the Cats last weekend. Ilkka Jantti is tops on the team and the in the MAC with four assists.

In goal for the Wildcats, Brad Samelko has seen every minute of action, collecting 32 saves and surrendering just eight goals for a 1.05 goals-against average. His 4.57 saves per game are first in the league, while his two shutouts on the year ranks second.

“This is going to be a very tough game for us,” Coach Ian Collins said. “We will have to be on top of game to get a good result. Louisville is very well coached and will come to Lexington ready to play. I anticipate a great game for the fans.”

The Cards (1-3-1, 0-0-1 Conference USA) are led by Courtenay Commander and Simon Bird who pace U of L with two goals each, while Bird leads the team with five points. George Zabaneh and Bryan Elkan round out the Cardinals’ scoring with one goal apiece. Jeremy Morales has logged 472 minutes surrendering 13 goals for a 2.44 GAA.

This will be the 10th meeting between the teams since UK’s inaugural varsity season in 1991. UK holds a 5-1-3 advantage and claimed a 2-1 victory last season as the Cardinals christened the new Cardinal Park.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children in grades eight and below and free for UK students with a valid ID.