Aug. 15, 2001
Lexington, KY – The Kentucky women’s soccer team has received its first preseason accolades as it has been ranked 25th in the nation in a poll released by soccerbuzz.com.
Returning nine starters and 81 percent (44 of 54 goals) of its offense from last year’s squad that went 15-6, soccerbuzz.com also placed UK third in the Great Lakes region behind Notre Dame and Illinois.
“This year we are going to be in the position to be very competitive in the Southeastern Conference and go to the NCAA Tournament,” Coach Warren Lipka said. “We are top-to-bottom solid — our athletes are prepared and ambitious to get the season started.”
The Wildcats, unranked at the end of last season, will begin by playing host to the Raiders of Wright State in an exhibition game on Friday, Aug. 25, at 1 p.m. and will officially kickoff the regular season on Friday, Aug. 31, when Marshall visits the UK Soccer Complex for a 7 p.m. match.
The rest of the schedule is highlighted by four teams that earned bids to the 2000 NCAA Tournament — at Michigan (Sept. 7), Southern California at the Loyola Marymount Fila Challenge in Los Angeles (Sept. 16), Arizona State at home in the Traditional Bank Invitational (Sept. 28) and at defending SEC regular season and tournament champion Florida (Oct. 7).
“I think we have really stepped up the schedule this year,” Lipka stated. “Going out of the region will definitely give us some great competition, valuable experience and exposure of our program.”
SOCCERBUZZ.COM PRESEASON TOP 25: 1. North Carolina 2. UCLA 3. Portland 4. Virginia 5. California 6. Notre Dame 7. Penn State 8. Nebraska 9. Stanford 10. Washington 11. Santa Clara 12. Connecticut 13. Florida State 14. Clemson 15. Texas A & M 16. Florida 17. Wake Forest 18. Texas 19. William & Mary 20. Duke 21. Arizona State 22. Boston College 23. Illinois 24. Richmond 25. Kentucky
SOCCERBUZZ.COM GREAT LAKES REGION TOP 10: 1. Notre Dame 2. Illinois 3. Kentucky 4. Purdue 5. Dayton 6. Marquette 7. Wisconsin 8. Michigan 9. Evansville 10. Miami, OH
– UK –
