(Aug. 24, 2000) — The University of Kentucky women’s soccer team will play host to the Cincinnati Bearcats to open its regular season on Friday, Aug. 25 at the UK Soccer Complex at 7:00 p.m.
Tying the series at four each, the Wildcats shut out the Bearcats in Cincinnati last season, 1-0.
“We look forward to playing a very good team in Cincinnati. They are always very well organized and coached,” said Coach Warren Lipka. “This will be a good test to see where we are at and it will be a battle.”
In their only exhibition game this season, the Wildcats shut out Purdue, 4-0. First team 1999 All-SEC pick Annie Gage scored two goals for the Wildcats, one of which was a penalty kick in the 11th minute and the other off an Elizabeth Ramsey assist in the 56th minute. Gage destroyed the record book last season, breaking the records for goals (15), shots (71), and points (39). She shattered the record for points, which was previously 29. Ramsey dominated on assists last season breaking the record with 11. Freshmen Dee Slupski and Lauren Russell found openings in the net and capitalized, scoring the final two goals off 1999 SEC Freshman of the Year Keri Boyce and Jen Wilkinson, respectively.
Kentucky finished the 1999 season with a 16-3-2 record, 8-1-1 in the Southeastern Conference. Meeting Georgia in the first round of the SEC tournament, the Cats went into two overtimes and penalty kicks and ultimately lost the game. Kentucky then received a first round bye in the NCAA tournament and went on to the second round, where the squad matched up against Texas A&M. With UK up 2-1 until the 83rd minute, the Aggies scored and tied the game, sending it into overtime. Texas A&M went on to win 3-2 and end Kentucky’s eighth season.
Kentucky is ranked in the top 20 in the Soccer America, Soccer Buzz, and National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason polls. Soccer America ranked Kentucky 16th, Soccer Buzz ranked the Wildcats 15th, while the NSCAA has the squad ranked 19th. Kentucky is second in the Great Lakes Region in the Soccer Buzz rankings. The SEC has picked the Cats to finish second in the conference.
Leading the Bearcats will be seniors Lisa Day and Tiffany Ogden, junior Amy Simonson, and sophomore Tianna Oliver. Ogden led the team in shots (13) and tied for goals (2) in 1999. Tying the number for most assists (3), Oliver netted one goal and finished the season with five points. Cincinnati finished the season with a 8-10-1 record, 6-5-1 in Conference USA play.
