UK Soccer Seeks First C-USA Points Sunday v No. 21 New Mexico
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky men’s soccer team will welcome 21st-ranked New Mexico to The Bell on Sunday for its Conference USA home opener.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
The setup
Kentucky has won two straight narrow-margin affairs against New Mexico.
The Wildcats edged the Lobos two years ago at The Bell on a wondrous Justin Laird volley. Last September Kentucky nicked all three points with 94 seconds to play in double overtime when Stefan Stojkovic won a 50/50 ball in the box and slotted home.
Kentucky ended a two-match losing streak Wednesday with a 1-0 double-overtime win against red hot East Tennessee State University. Kentucky enters Sunday with a 2016 record of won 4, lost 2 drew 1 (0-1-1 C-USA).
New Mexico (5-2-0) enters its C-USA opener the winner of five in a row, after dropping its first two matches to traditional powers Indiana and Notre Dame.
New Mexico has scored nine and conceded just three goals this season. After losing its first two matches 1-0, New Mexico kept clean sheets in four straight wins, before conceding one in a 3-1 win over the University of California-Irvine last weekend.
Kentucky has scored nine and conceded four goals this season. The Wildcats have kept a clean sheet four times in seven games. All four of the goals Kentucky has allowed came from set pieces.
The logistics
The first 250 fans at The Bell will receive a match poster, and fans can also pick up UK Soccer thunderstix.
Gates will open at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for the general public and $2 for youth and seniors. Fans can purchase tickets online via Ticketmaster or by calling (800) 928-2287, or at the ticket window at The Bell.
Kentucky’s 600-plus season ticket holders can wear their 2016 Kentucky Soccer scarves to gain admission.
Parking for the match is first come first served located outside the stadium’s main entrance. Overflow parking will be available above the soccer practice pitch.
UK players will sign autographs on the side of the pitch following the match weather-permitting.
The precedent
Kentucky is 2-1-0 against New Mexico having won two in a row. UK’s lone loss in the series came in 2013 in Albuquerque against a College Cup-bound Lobos squad.
UK Soccer in C-USA
Kentucky plays in C-USA in men’s soccer only. The Southeastern Conference does not offer men’s soccer as a sport. South Carolina is the only other SEC university that has a varsity men’s soccer team. The Gamecocks are also in C-USA.
