Sept. 2, 2008
LEXINGTON
, Ky. —
After totaling three goals and an assist in Kentucky’s two season-opening games, UK senior forward Michael Strong has been named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Strong, a native of San Antonio, Texas, made a major splash after returning to the pitch for the first time since 2006. The 5-foot-7 forward totaled three goals and an assist in just 50 minutes of action during UK’s first two opening games. After redshirting in 2007, Strong wasted no time to make an impact, totaling two goals and an assist in just 18 minutes of action in UK’s season-opening win over Central Arkansas. In Sunday’s UK Invitational clinching win over Detroit, Strong broke through on a breakaway, beating the defense and lofting a perfect ball over the charging goalkeepers head and into the net.
A veteran who has 54 career games under his belt, Strong, a 2004 All-MAC selection, has totaled 14 career goals and seven career assists, a total of 35 points.
Kentucky
returns to action on Friday, traveling to face No. 7 UC Santa Barbara in a 11 p.m. ET matchup at Harder Stadium. The contest will be televised by the Fox Soccer Channel. UK will then wrap up its west-coast road swing with a 4 p.m. match at Cal Poly on Sunday.
Kentucky
Receiving Votes for NSCAA Top-25
In the second top-25 poll of the season, the Kentucky men’s soccer team is receiving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America top-25 poll, it was announced on Tuesday.
Kentucky
is off to the best two-game start in program history, pounding Central Arkansas and Detroit by a combined score of 11-0. The Wildcats claimed the UK Invitational in dominating fashion, edging UCA 6-0 in the opener and Detroit 5-0 on Sunday. Kentucky set new school marks for the most goals scored and the largest margin of victory in the first two games in program history.
Kentucky
was last ranked in the top-25 during the 2006 season, a campaign that saw the Wildcats win 14 games and climb as high as No. 13 nationally. UK received votes in the first top top-25 polls of 2007.
