Oct. 18, 2001

KENTUCKY WOMEN’S SOCCER CONTINUES SEC PLAY AT OLE MISS

The University of Kentucky women’s soccer team (8-5-0/2-3-0 Southeastern Conference) continues SEC play on Friday, Oct. 19, as it travels to Oxford, Miss., to face Ole Miss (8-5-1/3-1-0 SEC) at 8 p.m. The Wildcats, looking to end a three-game SEC losing skid, own a 4-0-0 overall series record against the Rebels, including a 2-0-0 mark at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.

“These are two huge games for us as any time you take the road in the SEC, it’s extremely tough,” UK assistant coach Tim Bennett said. “Ole Miss is having a good year and they have several Kentucky kids on their roster. We have a good rivalry with them and we’re looking for our team to make the turn forward.”

After starting the season at 7-0-0, UK has dropped five of its last six games, including a pair of 1-0 conference losses to Georgia and Tennessee last weekend at the UK Soccer Complex. The losses to the Bulldogs and Lady Volunteers extended the Wildcats’ home scoreless streak to four games, the longest home scoring drought in the team’s 10-year history.

Senior midfielder Annie Gage is vying for UK’s career shot record this weekend as the Westerville, Ohio, native needs only six shots to tie Carrie Staber’s (1995-98) mark of 185. Gage recently tied the UK single-game shots record with 10 in last Sunday’s 1-0 double-overtime loss to Tennessee. The 10-shot output equaled teammate Keri Boyce’s effort in Kentucky’s 5-1 win over South Carolina last season.

The Wildcats will complete the weekend slate at Mississippi State (9-5-0/2-2-0) on Sunday, Oct. 21, as they battle the Bulldogs at the Mississippi State Soccer Field at 2 p.m. UK has held MSU scoreless in three matches and leads the overall series, 3-0-0.

– UK –