LEXINGTON, Ky. — After finishing its season with wins in four of its last six matches, the Kentucky soccer team has released its 2008 schedule, featuring matchups with five NCAA Tournament teams in 2008, UK soccer head coach Ian Collins announced.
?We are really excited about the schedule we have put together for 2008,? Collins said. ?As always, we will play some of the best teams in the collegiate ranks both in Lexington and on the road. I think our fans will enjoy the games here in Lexington. We have some quality players returning and are adding some impact players and one of our top priorities is to give our fans a program to be proud of.?
Kentucky finished the 2007 season strong, rallying with wins in four of its last six games, finishing 5-3 in the rugged Conference USA. The Wildcats claimed wins in six of nine matches at the end of the season, securing a spot in the conference tournament. UK battled through injury issues throughout the season, at times missing as many as 12 members of the regular playing rotation due to injury.
UK will face off with five 2007 NCAA Tournament teams, with a total of 10 home dates ? nine regular season dates. The Wildcats will again present a challenging home schedule in 2008, facing West Virginia in an exhibition, as well as high-profile home games with Michigan, Xavier, South Carolina, Central Florida, Florida International and Memphis.
Kentucky will open its season with a road exhibition game at Dayton on August 18, before wrapping up its preseason with an August 23 matchup with 2007 NCAA Tournament team, WVU. The Wildcats kick off its regular season with the annual Kentucky Invitational, hosting Detroit, Evansville and Central Arkansas in a four-team field. UK will face Central Arkansas in the season opener on Friday, August 29 before squaring off with Detroit on August 31.
?The challenging non-conference schedule should prepare us for the demands of a very difficult conference slate,? Collins said. ?C-USA is a difficult and demanding conference and we will have to be prepared for the challenges of facing top level teams every game.?
September brings a challenging west-coast trip to face national soccer powers UC-Santa Barbara and Cal-Poly. UK faces UC-Santa Barbara on September 5, before facing Cal Poly on Sunday, September 7.
?Our trip to California is going to be a great experience, a real good chance to face some of the top competition in the nation and experience electric atmospheres,? Collins detailed. ?UCSB and Cal Poly both have tremendous crowd support, presenting us a challenging road environment.?
After a road game at Cincinnati, UK hosts Michigan (September 17) and Alabama A&M (September 21), before traveling to Asheville, N.C., for a non-conference tilt with UNC-Asheville.
Kentucky opens C-USA play with a October 1 matchup at Marshall, returning home to host Xavier in a non-conference game on October 4. The Wildcats return to its conference season with a road showdown with Tulsa on October 8 and a crucial home game with South Carolina on October 12. After a trip to UAB, the site of the 2007 C-USA Tournament, Kentucky hosts Central Florida (October 22) and Florida International (October 25). In its final non-conference game of the year, Kentucky travels to rival Indiana for a 7 p.m. October 29 match in Bloomington, Ind.
UK will wrap up its regular season with a road C-USA game at conference front-runner SMU, a team the Wildcats defeated a year ago, UK?s first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked foe. Memphis will come to the UK Soccer Complex on November 7 to close the regular season. The Conference USA Tournament, held in Dallas, Texas, will be held November 12-16.
