LEXINGTON ? It is very apparent that the Kentucky soccer team will compete against one of the nation’s toughest slates this season as the Wildcats announced their 2005 schedule Tuesday.
Of Kentucky’s 18 opponents for the upcoming year, nine competed in the NCAA Tournament a season ago. Included in that group are Tulsa, SMU and Ohio State, all of which reached the tournament’s final eight. The Golden Hurricane and Mustangs make trips to Lexington in early October as part of a six-game stretch in which the Wildcats face only teams that reached the big dance a year ago.
“We have always done our best to play the top competition across the nation and I think our 2005 schedule is our strongest yet,” Kentucky coach Ian Collins said. “We are excited about joining Conference USA which will undoubtedly be one of the top three conferences in the country and will allow us to establish some new rivalries with some great teams and allow us to keep our traditional rivals like Akron, Louisville, Ohio State and Michigan.”
The gauntlet is split evenly between home and road dates as there are nine of each. After opening with Louisville and Alabama A&M at home, Kentucky plays six of its next eight games on the road. That stretch includes trips at Ohio State and Michigan as well as UK’s Conference USA opener at Florida International.
“Our fans will have a great home schedule to look forward to with the visit of Louisville, SMU, Tulsa, Memphis and UAB amongst others,” Collins said. “They have the chance to watch the best that college soccer has to offer on a consistent basis.”
This season will be Kentucky’s first in Conference USA after dominating the Mid-America Conference by winning four league titles in its last five years. The 10-team CUSA had eight of it’s teams earn national rankings a year ago. The move comes as the Wildcats have brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the country — one that was recognized recently by CollegeSoccerNews.com.
“We will have a lot of younger players that we will be counting on and they will have to be ready. We have long tough road which allows for no breaks and no rest,” Collins said.
The slate also features a trip to Oregon State for games against the Beavers and Gonzaga.
“Adding two games at Oregon State will prove to be a challenge and I think the travel to the west coast of the country will be a great experience for our players,” Collins noted.
The season officially begins Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the UK Soccer Complex in the UK Invitational against in-state rival Louisville. The Wildcats face Michigan State and Oakland in two exhibitions prior to that.
