The Kentucky men’s soccer team approaches the 2003 season with several goals in mind – to return to the top of the Mid-American Conference, to be one of the top teams in the Great Lakes Region and to reach the 2003 NCAA College Cup finals in Columbus, Ohio.
UK played two exhibition games this past weekend in Ft. Wayne, Ind. at the IPFW Soccer Showcase against No. 7 Indiana and Michigan State. The Cats looked impressive Friday night against a strong Indiana team, beating the Hoosiers, 2-1, in dramatic fashion. On Sunday, Kentucky was not as successful against the Spartans, who blanked the Cats, 2-0.
“I believe that, with so many new faces, the best soccer from this team will come in the middle to latter part of the season,” Collins said. “It may take us a little time to jell and come together, but I’m very confident that by the end of the year this will be a very strong team. I think the schedule will have a lot to do with that in terms of getting us ready to play.”
The Cats’ schedule features matchups with three National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason top 25-ranked teams; No. 7 Indiana (Nov. 2), No. 19 North Carolina (Oct. 12) and No. 22 Portland (Sept. 28).
“Every year we play the best teams in the nation,” Collins said. “It prepares us for conference play and constantly exposes our players to different environments. At the same time, it allows us to see exactly what we can do against the nation’s best.”
Kentucky opens its regular season with a home match against Louisville on Sept. 2 at the UK Soccer Complex at 7:30 p.m. Fans who bring their ticket stubs from the UK/Louiville football game on Aug. 31 will receive free admission into the game. Also, fans can check out the promotions page for a list of exciting activities and features that will take place at each of the seven home contests.
