LEXINGTON ? The Kentucky men?s soccer team opens Mid-America Conference action Sunday when it faces Western Michigan at 1 p.m. at the WMU Soccer Complex in Kalamazoo, Mich.
The Wildcats (2-2) are coming off a 3-1 victory over UNC-Asheville on Friday night in their home opener. The Broncos, which reached the NCAA Tournament last season, outlasted Detroit for a 1-0 win Friday.
?It?ll be tough. Our guys have to realize that our effort level will have to be a little better (Sunday),? said head coach Ian Collins. ?Western Michigan is an NCAA Tournament-caliber team. This game will set the tone for the rest of the conference season, so hopefully we?ll come out and be ready to play.?
Last season, Kentucky went undefeated in conference play en route to winning their third MAC Championship in four years. The Wildcats also accomplished a feat no other conference team had: They did not allow a goal in league play all year. Currently, Kentucky has a 243 minute and 10 second shutout streak in conference action.
?Everybody always wants to beat Kentucky,? Collins said. ?That?s the way it is and we understand it. We?re going to have to be ready and focused and disciplined because of that.?
Senior Jamal Shteiwi carries a five-game point (goal or assist) streak into the contest, which is tied for the third longest such streak in school annals. Shteiwi extended the run Friday by burying a penalty kick. It was his third straight game with a goal.
The opportunity was set up for Shteiwi by Anthony Peters who was taken down in the box after beating a UNC-Asheville defender. Peters came off the bench to spark the Kentucky offense with that play and later tallied an assist on Andrew Alexander?s first career goal.
?Anthony made a huge difference (Friday),? said Collins. ?He was dangerous and made a lot of things happen. He worked hard all game and played very well. He showed some of the things he is capable of.?
A year ago, Kentucky scored three first half goals en route to a 3-0 win over the Broncos. It was the 11th straight victory for the Wildcats in the series. Kentucky is 5-0 all-time against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo.
