Cats Aim to Stay Perfect at Home Wednesday Versus Mercer
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After a nearly two-week hiatus from competition, the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats are set to return to the pitch for a matchup with the Mercer Bears on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, broadcast live on ESPN+.
Kentucky enters Wednesday with an overall record of 3-1, seeking a fourth consecutive victory at Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex. Mercer will visit Lexington with a 1-3 record, including a 0-1 mark on the road.
Wednesday will be the first meeting between the Wildcats and Bears since Nov. 23, 2001, when Kentucky—champion of its former Mid-American Conference affiliation—defeated Mercer—champion of its former home in the Atlantic Sun Conference—by a score of 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky has remained at No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches national rankings for the three most recent renditions of the fall’s initial four polls. On Oct. 2, the Cats completed a 2-1 comeback bid in overtime against the Bears of Central Arkansas, following a 3-1 win over Louisville on Sept. 28 and a 4-2 victory over Duke on Sept. 21.
Kentucky’s high-powered offense has outshot its opponents by a combined margin of 57-37 this season, led by two goals apiece from redshirt-senior team captain Aimé Mabika and sophomore Eythor Bjorgolfsson.
Mabika is one three players who have not missed a single minute of action this season, along with fellow defensive-minded upperclassmen Bailey Rouse and Robert Screen.
As a result of its wins over Louisville and Central Arkansas, Kentucky was named TopDrawerSoccer’s Men’s Team of the Week on Oct. 6. Mabika was dubbed Player of the Week, while Rouse was recognized as one of 11 Top Performers from around the country and Bjorgolfsson received Honorable Mention.
Mercer looks to end its fall on a high note after falling most recently to Conference USA affiliate South Carolina by a 1-0 final in Macon, Georgia, last Friday. The Bears’ only prior road test came in the match before, culminating in a 2-0 loss at Georgia State on Oct. 6.
Following a player guest and coach guest attendance model, no ticket options for any UK soccer matches will be made available to the public at this time. For more information, visit the 2020 Soccer Gameday Information page throughout the season.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s soccer team, follow @UKMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.
