Sept. 4, 2002

The University of Kentucky women’s soccer team will compete against two top-25 teams when it travels to Utah to face No. 24 BYU on Friday, Sept. 6 and No. 23 Utah on Sunday, Sept. 8. While owning a 1-0-0 series lead on the Utes (1-0-0), the 18th-ranked Wildcats (2-0-0) will meet the Cougars (1-1-0) on the field for the first time this weekend.

“We are looking forward to competing out West,” Coach Warren Lipka said. “BYU brings a tremendous amount of athleticism and has one of the best players in the country in midfielder Aleisha Cramer-Rose. Utah is an experienced club that we know a little better since we faced them at home last season. The altitude will challenge us, but we must overcome it. Both teams have tremendous fan support.”

The Cougars boast the 2001 Mountain West Player of the Year and a Soccer Buzz first-team All-American in Cramer-Rose. The junior midfielder was also a first-team All-West Region selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and was voted first-team All-MWC. BYU upset then fourth-ranked Portland, 2-1, in its season opener but fell to No. 18 Michigan, 2-1, in Ann Arbor on Sept. 2.

Utah will play host to Northwestern on Thursday before welcoming the Cats to Salt Lake City on Sunday. The Utes traveled to the Bluegrass last season and suffered a 3-0 shutout at the UK Soccer Complex on Sept. 21. Susie Ledzianowski, Keri Boyce and Jamie Hutchison recorded goals for the 15th-ranked Wildcats as UK improved its record to 6-0-0.

UK is coming off a 2-0-0 weekend as it claimed the Nike Tiger Invitational title with wins over Indiana and No. 23 Illinois in Columbia, Mo. Goalkeeper Liz Butler, defender Amber Wilson, midfielder Danielle Slupski and forward Elizabeth Ramsey were voted to the all-tournament team. The victories over the Hoosiers and Illini improved Coach Warren Lipka’s career record to 124-77-10 (.611), leaving him one win shy of the 125-win milestone.

Friday’s game at BYU’s South Field in Provo, Utah, will begin at 9 p.m. ET, while Sunday’s match at Ute Field is scheduled for a 2 p.m. ET staring time.

– UK –