The University of Kentucky men’s soccer team was picked to finish secondin the Mid-American Conference by the league’s coaches, the conferenceannounced Thursday, August 3.

The Cats received one first-place vote to come in second with 40 points,while Akron gathered the remaining first-place votes to finish ahead of UKwith 48 points. Rounding out the poll were Northern Illinois, BowlingGreen, Marshall, Buffalo and Western Michigan.

Kentucky enters the 2000 season as the reigning MAC tournament championand the league’s NCAA tournament representative, which are both firsts forthe school. The Cats swept through the 1999 MAC tourney with victories overEastern and Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, while in the firstround of NCAA play, they took eventual national champion Indiana to doubleovertime before falling 1-0.

UK returns a strong nucleus from last season’s squad even though it losesthe outstanding play of Lee Baker and Jason Bell, who combined for 15 goalsand 12 assists a year ago. Senior Giovanni Fernandes and junior IlkkaJantti were first-team All-MAC and second team All-Mideast Regionselections last season and will be joined again this season by BrianO’Leary in goal. O’Leary played every minute for the Cats last year postingeight shutouts, 60 saves and a 0.96 goals-against average.

The Cats, 13-7-1 in 1999, take the field for the first time in 2000 in anexhibition against Dayton on August 20.

2000 MAC Men’s Soccer Coaches Poll

1. Akron (6)            48 points2. Kentucky (1)         40 points3. Northern Illinois    33 points4. Bowling Green        28 points5. Marshall             21 points6. Buffalo              18 points7. Western Michigan     8 points(numbers in parentheses indicate first-place votes)