Wildcats Close Out Homestand, Host South Carolina in Sunday Matinee
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Wildcats (6-2-3, 3-1-0 SBC) are set to close out a two-match homestand tomorrow against the South Carolina Gamecocks (7-4-2, 1-1-2 SBC) in a Sunday afternoon matchup at The Bell.
The Wildcats are entering the final five-match stretch of the 2025 season, starting with tomorrow’s matchup against the Gamecocks, and concluding with matchups against No. 24 Georgia Southern (Oct. 22), No. 3 West Virginia (Oct. 26), Georgia State (Oct. 31) and Old Dominion (Nov. 4).
Kentucky boasts a 14-8-4 all-time record against South Carolina, including a 2-0 win in Columbia in 2024. The Wildcats have won seven of the previous nine games against the Gamecocks dating back to the 2017 season.
The Wildcats will look to snap a two-match losing streak on Sunday against the Gamecocks, entering the weekend off losses to a pair of ranked opponents in No. 17 Marshall and No. 14 Indiana. UK currently sits in third place in the SBC standings, tied with both Marshall and Georgia Southern with nine points, with a game in hand over the Eagles. The Wildcats are also ranked No. 25 in the latest rankings from the United Soccer Coaches poll and the TopDrawrerSoccer poll.
South Carolina enters matchweek five of Sun Belt Conference play in sixth place in the conference with five points from four games. Their most recent result came against the Old Dominion Monarchs in a 1-1 draw on senior night in Columbia on Oct. 10. South Carolina is 2-1-2 in their last five outings, including a pair of 1-0 wins over Queens and James Madison.
The Gamecocks are led on the offensive end by leading goalscorer Ethan Ballek with five goals and four assists in 12 appearances. USC also features three players with three goals scored this season in midfielder Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez, forward Tyler Trimnal and midfielder Mika Habel.
On the defensive side, South Carolina has allowed 20 goals through 13 games this season, which is tied for last in the Sun Belt Conference with Coastal Carolina. Goalkeeper Filip Versterre has appeared and started in all 13 games for the Gamecocks, recording 32 saves, two shutouts and a .615 save percentage.
Kickoff for Kentucky vs. South Carolina is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET, streaming on ESPN+. The promotional theme for Sunday’s match is Big Blue Greek Night, encouraging all students to support their school fraternity and sorority at The Bell tomorrow afternoon. Admission to all 2025 Kentucky home soccer matches is free to all fans.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s soccer team, follow @UKMensSoccer on X, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.
