Aug. 17, 2001

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men’s soccer team has been chosen to win the regular-season Mid-American Conference title by a vote of the league’s coaches. The Cats took 44 of a possible 49 points and four first-place votes in the preseason poll.The Cats finished in a four-way tie for the regular-season crown in 2000, but took home their own trophy after winning the MAC tournament. They tallied a 4-2 regular-season conference record, while finishing the 2000 campaign with a 12-9-1 overall record and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats have won back-to-back MAC tournament titles, earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament the past two seasons.

The University of Akron was hot on UK’s heels in the poll, finishing with 41 points and three first-place votes. The Zips have won the last four regular-season crowns and return a first-team All-MAC selection at each position for the 2001 campaign.

“We look forward to defending our conference title,” Coach Ian Collins said. “It’s a nice honor to be picked first, but we know we have to be at our best to win our third (tournament) title in a row.”

Kentucky opens the 2001 season on Saturday, August 25, when it travels to Fort Wayne, Ind., for an exhibition game with South Carolina. On Sunday, August 26, the Cats face the University of Alabama-Birmingham in another exhibition matchup. They open the regular season on August 31-September 1 when they travel to Bloomington, Ind., for the Indiana University Classic.

Mid-American ConferencePreseason Coaches’ Poll

1. Kentucky (4) 44

2. Akron (3) 41

3. Bowling Green 34

4. Marshall 32

5. Northern Illinois 19

6. Western Michigan 16

7. Buffalo 10

(First-place votes in parentheses.)