IPFW Soccer Showcase Game Notes
Aug. 24, 2001
The University of Kentucky men’s soccer team gets the 2001 season underway when it travels to the IPFW Soccer Showcase for a pair of exhibition matches this weekend in Fort Wayne, Ind. The No. 23 Cats face No. 17 South Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 25, at 2:30 p.m. CST and No. 19 Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday, Aug. 26, at noon CST.
UK is looking to build on its unprecedented success in 2000 when the Cats advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history after stunning No. 9 Saint Louis in a 4-2 penalty-kick victory in the first round.
The Cats return six starters from last season, including All-America candidate Illka Jantti. The Lahti, Finland, native has been named a preseason second-team All-American by CollegeSoccerNews.com and heads up a defensive corps that allowed only 26 goals in 2000.
Kentucky also welcomes back its leading scorer from 2000, Chris McDaniel. The sophomore from Tulsa, Okla., scored five goals (three game winners) and tallied one assist a year ago.
Joining Jantti in the back will be junior J.D. Stephenson. Stephenson made the move to defender as a sophomore after spending a season in the midfield. The Tulsa, Okla., native also combines with Jantti to improve the Cats’ offensive attack as both can strike from the back. They have contributed seven goals and 11 assists the past two years.
UK also welcomes a group of 13 newcomers, seven transfers and six freshmen. John Monebrake comes from Ohio State where he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1998 after leading the Buckeyes with 15 points and seven goals. Greg Raber joins the Wildcats from UNC Greensboro where he started 22 games in his two seasons with the Spartans. As a freshman, he recorded 923 minutes with a 0.14 goals-against average and as a sophomore played 800 minutes, maintaining a 1.46 GAA. Nathan Fleetwood, an Australian product, comes to the Bluegrass via Virginia Intermont College where he scored 12 goals and seven assists last season.
Olli Lehtimaki is the third Finland native on the UK roster to three and should be a force in the middle. Although this is his first season of collegiate competition, Lehtimaki’s experience is extensive. Playing with FC Hameenlinna in Finland, he tallied seven goals and six assists in 2000 and 10 goals in 1999.
“We certainly want to use 2000 as a building block for this year,” Coach Ian Collins said. “We are bringing in 13 new players, but half of them have significant college experience. This weekend will be a challenge, and it is still early in the season so we have a number of things to work on. This will give us the opportunity to see how we stack up early on against some of the best teams in the country.”
The IPFW Soccer Showcase is one of the most prestigious preseason tournaments in the country as evidenced by the quality teams assembled this weekend. UK and its opponents are joined by host IPFW as well as No. 4 Indiana, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Michigan. All matches will be held at the Hefner Soccer Fields on the campus of IPFW.
