LEXINGTON ? Coming off its thrilling 1-0 upset over No. 6 South Carolina on Sunday, the Kentucky men?s soccer team cracked back into the polls, moving in at No. 21 according to Soccer America.
The Wildcats are 8-2-1 just past the midpoint of the season and are 1-0 in Conference USA after defeating the Gamecocks. The win snapped USC?s nation-best nine-game win streak and ended a four-game skid for UK in the series.
Kentucky is back in the rankings after a two-week absence. The Wildcats have been ranked as high as 14th this year before dropping a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime contest to Michigan.
Wildcats Sweep Conference Player of the Week Honors: After leading UK to its stunning victory over South Carolina, forward Riley O?Neill and goalkeeper Dan Williams have been honored by Conference USA with player of the week awards.
O?Neill took home C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season after netting the game-winning goal in the 105th minute, lifting Kentucky to victory. It was his 12th goal of the season and his school-record-tying fourth game-winner this year. O?Neill now has twice as many goals as any other player in the conference.
Williams earned a clean sheet in the game, his fifth of the year, and became the first goalkeeper to blank the Gamecocks this season to earn C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors. He stopped a penalty shot in the fifth minute that kept the game scoreless and made three total saves to allow UK to win in overtime.
Kentucky Sprinkled Throughout NCAA Statistical Rankings: Kentucky?s prolific offense and stingy defense are each ranked in the nation?s top 10 and senior Riley O?Neill is among the nation?s top scorers in the latest NCAA statistical rankings released Monday.
The Wildcats rank seventh nationally in scoring offense with an average of 2.64 goals per game. Meanwhile, UK is fifth in the nation with a miniscule 0.44 goals-against average and fifth nationally with seven shutouts.
Kentucky and top-ranked SMU, the Wildcats? next opponent, are the only two teams in the country ranked in the top 10 in both scoring offense and defense.
The attack has been led by O?Neill, who ranks fourth in the country in goals with 12 and points with 27. The Campbell River British Columbia native is only four goals shy of the school-single season record and needs six points to break that single-season mark.
Goalkeeper Dan Williams ranks eighth in the country in goals against, allowing 0.484 per game. His .861 save percentage is 13th nationally.
In Conference USA, O?Neill ranks first in shots, goals, points and game-winning goals. Williams is second in goals-against, shutouts and save percentage.
