The Kentucky men’s soccer team kicks off its 2005 home schedule on Saturday when it hosts Oakland at 7:30 p.m. in an exhibition contest at the UK Soccer Complex.

The game wraps up the preseason for the Wildcats, who fought to a 1-1 draw with defending Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan State last weekend. Oakland finished second in the Mid-Continent Conference a year ago.

“Oakland is a very tough opponent,” Kentucky coach Ian Collins said. “They are a team that contends for the NCAA Tournament every year. I think it will be an exciting game for the fans to watch.”

Collins will use Saturday’s contest to allow his young squad gain valuable experience before kicking off the season. The Wildcats are expected to start four freshmen and four sophomores while bringing at least five more freshmen off the bench.

“We’re going to treat this as an exhibition, where we’re not as concerned about the result as we are how we play,” Collins said. “Last week we played nine freshman and five sophomores as part of the 20 people we played. Saturday will be very similar to that.”

Kentucky opens the regular season on Friday, Sept. 2 against Louisville in the UK Invitational. The Wildcats follow that with a contest against Alabama A&M the next day.