July 21, 1998
,> At the end of an up-and-down season in 1996, the Kentucky men’s soccer rode a streak of hot play into the finals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship game, only to fall to rival Bowling Green. The Wildcats carried that momentum into the 1997 season and narrowly missed winning the MAC regular season title.
Despite opening the season with a loss at Missouri-Kansas City, the Wildcats began the 1997 season in outstanding form. UK posted a 2-1 win over in-state rival Western Kentucky in its home opener before settling down to play host to the Kentucky Invitational Tournament. UK opened the tournament against Bradley, using a pair of Chris Villamil goals to claim a 3-0 victory. In their second game, the Wildcats had to hold off a game Cleveland State squad. A Jason Bell goal just before halftime held up as the only score of the match, as UK took the tournament championship with the 1-0 victory.
Goalkeeper Chris West recorded 15 saves and was named to the UKIT All-Tournament team along with teammates Lee Baker, Todd Stonestreet and Chris Villamil. West’s performance also earned him MAC Player of the Week honors.
Following a 1-1 draw with Cincinnati, UK travelled to Louisville to meet the in-state rival Cardinals. Freshman Brian O’Leary made his first start in the UK nets, allowing just one goal as Sean Mondelli’s two assists gave the Wildcats a 2-1 win and a 4-1-1 record. Next up for the Wildcats was a trip to the bright lights of Las Vegas for the UNLV Classic. Despite playing a man down for more than 30 minutes, UK picked up a 2-1 overtime win over the host Runnin’ Rebels. But the ‘Cats could not keep the streak alive, as 1995 NCAA quarterfinalist Fresno State handed UK a 3-2 loss.
Following just their third loss of the year, to undefeated and No. 1 ranked Indiana in Bloomington, Kentucky returned home to face Belmont. Neither team scored in the first half, as both teams struggled to find the back of the net. But in the second half, UK exploded for three goals in 13 minutes, claiming its third shutout win of the season with the 3-0 victory. With a 6-3-1 record, UK opened Mid-American Conference play at Western Michigan, posting a second consecutive 3-0 win. The Wildcats continued their high-scoring act in their second MAC game, claiming a 4-1 win at Northern Illinois.
However, up next was a home meeting with arch-rival and defending conference champion Bowling Green with first place in the MAC on the line. A record crowd of 3,003 packed the Kentucky Soccer Stadium to see Kentucky’s first-ever win over the Falcons behind goals from Matt Wilkerson and Rick Dengelegi. Before the contest, the UK coaches presented a Nike Participate in the Lives of America’s Youth (P.L.A.Y.) clinic. Expecting as many as 300 young players from the Lexington area, the coaches were pleasantly surprised when more than 700 showed up. Kentucky improved its conference record to 4-0 with a home win over Eastern Michigan. Trailing 2-0 to the Eagles with just 14 minutes remaining in the game, UK tallied two goals in a four-minute span to force overtime. In the 118th minute, Billy Dwyer found the back of the net for UK, preserving the Wildcats’ unbeaten MAC slate. After a 1-1 tie with Wisconsin-Green Bay, Kentucky had to again come from behind for a conference win, outlasting Marshall 2-1 in overtime to keep the Wildcats undefeated in MAC play and in first place heading into the final weekend.
After the disappointing loss to Indiana, Kentucky had reeled off an unbeaten streak of seven games, including five straight wins for a 5-0-1 record during that span.
However, UK’s luck would run out. Facing Akron in heavy rain and sloppy field conditions, Kentucky failed to score for the first time in seven games, falling 1-0.
Against Vanderbilt, UK again fell victim to bad luck, not only losing the game, but also goalkeeper Brian O’Leary to a thumb injury. Chris West returned to the UK nets for the Wildcats’ final MAC game against Miami (Ohio). The RedHawks managed two goals within a minute span and held on for a 2-1 win to send UK to its third straight loss. Up next was the MAC Tournament, and UK posted a 2-1 win over Western Michigan to set up a rematch with Bowling Green. However, the Falcons would have their revenge in the tournament’s semifinals, claiming a 1-0 win and knocking the Wildcats out of the MAC Tournament for the third straight year.
UK finished the season with a 12-7-2 overall record and a second-place showing in the MAC final standings with a 5-2 conference mark. Kentucky head coach Ian Collins was rewarded by his fellow coaches with the LCI/Gary V. Palmisano Coach of the Year award, while Brien Baltzell and Sean Mondelli were voted first-team All Mid-American Conference. Lee Baker earned a spot on the All-MAC second team and he and Rick Dengelegi were named to the MAC All-Tournament team.
