Feb. 12, 2013

LEXINGTON, Ky. — After a highly successful 2012 campaign which included the first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2003, the Kentucky men’s soccer team will play a six-game spring schedule with the UK Soccer Complex hosting four matches, UK head coach Johan Cedergren announced on Tuesday.

The Wildcats will start the spring with a doubleheader on March 23, hosting Southern Indiana and Georgetown (Ky.) College. The first kick will start at 5:30 p.m. ET with the second match to follow after the break. Southern Indiana finished last year at 11-7 with a Great Lakes Valley Conference record of 9-5. The Tigers from Georgetown College come into the spring after compiling a 3-15 record as well as a 2-7 conference mark in the Mid-South Conference during the 2012 season.

Kentucky will then host the Bulldogs of Butler University on March 30 with the start of the match slated for 3 p.m. Butler finished last season 5-8-5 to go along with an Atlantic 10 record of 3-5-1.

The first road contest will pit the Wildcats against the Akron Zips – the 2010 NCAA Champion – out of the Mid-American Conference. The Zips finished last year as a NCAA tournament team, and a national ranking of 7th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America after compiling a mark of 18-1-3 as well as an undefeated MAC record of 7-0. The match is set to kick off at 3 p.m. in Akron, Ohio, on April, 6.

The Wildcats return from Akron to face the Lipscomb Bison on April 13 at 4 p.m. at the UK Soccer Complex. Lipscomb comes to Lexington after a 7-12-1 record in 2012 and an Atlantic Sun record of 3-4-1.

For the final match, the Wildcats travel to Wright State in Dayton, Ohio for an April 20 match at 7 p.m. ET. The Raiders are coming off a 4-13-1 season which saw them finish 2-4-1 in the Horizon League.

DAY     DATE              OPPONENT                TIME                FACILITY

Sat.      March 23         Southern Indiana        3:30 p.m.         UK Soccer Complex
                                   Georgetown                4:45 p.m.         UK Soccer Complex
Sat.      March 30         Butler                          3 p.m.              UK Soccer Complex
Sat.      April 6             at Akron                      5 p.m.              FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field
Sat.      April 13           Lipscomb                     5 p.m.              UK Soccer Complex
Sat.      April 20           at Wright State           7 p.m.              Alumni Field
* Times Eastern and subject to change.