Oct. 25, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Coming off a draw with Tulsa on Wednesday night, the Kentucky men’s soccer team will return to action, hosting Florida International on Saturday, with kickoff at the UK Soccer Complex slated for 7 p.m. ET.
Kentucky (4-7-2, 1-2-2 Conference USA) is coming off a scoreless tie with Tulsa on Wednesday night, with the Wildcats getting a career-high, seven-save outing from sophomore goalkeeper Callum Irving in his fourth shutout of the year.
The Wildcats have totaled 13 goals in their first 13 games, allowing 16 tallies and owning advantages in shots (208-128) and corner kicks (81-59). UK has a 1.11 goals-against average, while averaging 16 shots per game.
Individually, UK has been led in scoring by senior Brad Doliner, who has four goals and four assist. Sophomore Isak Krogstad has three goals and two assists, with sophomore Jacob Scearce and freshman Sam Miller each sporting a goal and two assists. Junior Justin Laird leads the team with four assists, with freshmen Napo Matsoso, Charlie Reymann and Kaelon Fox each owning a goal and an assist.
In goal, Irving has a 0.94 goals-against average in his nine starts, saving 25 shots and owning four shutouts. Senior Jack Van Arsdale has started four games, saving five shots with a 1.50 goals-against average.
FIU (5-8-0, 1-4-0 C-USA) is coming off a 1-0 loss to Old Dominion in Miami, and are currently in a three-match losing streak. FIU has netted 23 goals and allowed 21 in its first 13 games of the year, with a 1.60 goals-against average and an average of 14.5 shots per game.
Individually, FIU has been led by Quintin Albrecht, who has five goals and four assists. Roberto Alterio has five goals and one assist, with Gonzalo Frechilla sporting two goals and four assists. Luis Betancur has three goals and one assist. Lawren Craggs has started a team-high eight games in goal, with two shutouts, 25 saves and a 1.61 goals-against average.
UK leads the all-time series with FIU, 6-2-1, including a 4-0 mark in Lexington. UK has won six of the last seven meetings, with its last loss, a 1-0 overtime result in Miami in 2011.
Kentucky posted a 5-1 win over FIU in its 2012 meeting in Lexington, with the Wildcats getting three goals in the first half and two goals in the second half. Dylan Asher netted goals in the third, 41st and 57th minutes for the hat trick, with Charley Pettys scoring in the 23rd minute and Dustin Scibilia getting his first career goal in the 79th minute. UK owned a 24-7 advantage in shots and a 7-2 mark in corner kicks, as FIU keeper Robin Spiegel made six saves in the game. UK improved to 8-6-1, 3-1-1 in conference with the win, with FIU dropping to 7-5-2, 0-4-1 in league action.
UK Soccer Complex Game Day
Due to the ongoing construction of the $7.7 million renovations to the UK Soccer Complex, Kentucky soccer fans will experience some slight modifications to the game day experience during the 2013 season.
Tickets
All fans will be admitted into all games for the 2013 season for free for the duration of the season. Fans will also be allowed to re-enter the complex after initial entrance.
Seating
Seating will be all general admission for the season and seating will all be located behind the team benches on the grassy area opposite the construction site. Fans will be invited to bring their own chairs and blankets to enjoy the action. There will also be seating located behind the goals on each side of the facility, similar to years past.
Construction
Construction will be ongoing for most of the season, and the grandstand side of the facility will be shut down for the entirety of the season. Only credentialed members of the UK staff will be allowed over to that side of the complex.
Facility Entrance
All fans will be entering and exiting the facility using the existing student entrance located between the game field and the practice field. The existing entrance main gate will be shut down and fans will not be able to enter the facility through those gates, as they will be closed during the construction process.
Parking
Fans will be able to park in one of three locations for the season. The first-arriving fans will receive access to the gravel lot located directly across the main gate. Once that lot is filled, fans will be directed to park in the lot that borders the practice field off of College Way. In addition, similar to softball parking in 2013, there will be parking on the west side of College Way in the grassy area between the soccer/softball complex and Commonwealth Stadium. When there are no further available spots, fans will park in select lots of Commonwealth Stadium, which is in walking distance of the UK Soccer Complex. Parking lots will open three hours prior to game time. Handicapped parking will remain as seasons past, with parking available near the main gate in the paved lot.
