Oct. 21, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Winners of two consecutive matches and sitting in second place in the rugged Conference USA, the Kentucky men’s soccer team returns to its home pitch with a pivotal league game with the red-hot Central Florida, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (7-4-2, 3-1-0 C-USA) sits in a tie for second place with UCF and Memphis, all with nine total points. The Wildcats have posted back-to-back crucial conference wins, including a 2-0 win over 18th-ranked South Carolina and a 2-1 golden-goal win at UAB on Saturday night. Of UK’s four losses, three came at the hands of a top-25 foe on the road.
The Wildcats have been led by the 16th-best scoring offense and the 22nd-best goals-against average in collegiate soccer, leading the conference nearly every category. UK ranks as the C-USA leader in points (79), goals (27), goals per game (2.08), assists (1.92), assists per game (1.92), goals allowed (10) and goals against average (0.74). UK also paces the conference in shutouts (6), ranking fifth overall in shots (163).
Individually, Michael Strong has led the way for the Wildcats, with a team-best seven goals in 12 games played. Strong, a senior forward, has totaled a club-high 15 points on the year, with one assist in addition to his seven goals. In the conference rankings, Strong checks in sixth in shots (26), 10th in shots per game (2.17), second in points (15), fourth in points per game (1.25), second in goals (7) and third in goals per game (0.58). Chad Hagerty and Sam Vernalls ranks as the team leaders in assists, with three on the year, while Time Crone (4 goals, 2 assists), Jason Griffiths (3 goals, 1 assist) and Marco dos Santos (3 goals, 1 assist) helping pace the potent UK offensive attack. Vernalls has added two goals with his three assists, while freshman forward Taylor White – who has played in just seven games this year, has totaled two goals and two assists.
UK preseason All-America defender Barry Rice, a member of the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy National Player of the Year Watch List, has totaled one goal and one assist on the year. Rice, a junior and native of Parma, Ohio, has claimed 91-of-100 contested header attempts on the season, an impressive stat for one of the better defenders in collegiate soccer.
In goal, Dan Williams has posted a 0.748 goals against average, ranking tops in the conference and 26th-best in college soccer. Williams has allowed only 10 goals on the year – tops in the league – with two of the goals coming on penalty kicks and two coming off own goals. Williams has totaled five shutouts – including working 73 minutes of another blanking – bringing his career total to 12, good for fourth all-time in UK history. Williams has allowed just one goal in the last 196 consecutive minutes, an own goal at UAB. The 6-foot-2 keeper has totaled a 364-minute scoreless streak earlier in the year, and without own goals or penalty kicks, Williams has allowed only one goal over a span of the last 634 consecutive minutes.
Last time out, UK posted an overtime win over UAB, getting a goal from Tyler Burns in the 100th minute of a big conference win, 2-1. Stephen Beiro netted his first career goals just 18 seconds into the game, setting a new school record for the quickest goal in the history of the program, eclipsing the previous record of one minute and 12 seconds, set in 1995.
Kentucky leads the all-time series with Central Florida, 3-1-1, posting back-to-back wins in the series. UK’s lone loss in the series came in 2005, a 2-1 setback at UCF. Last year, UK got the game winner in a 3-2 match in Orlando, Fla., getting a game-winner from Aaron Swanson in the 98th minute, a feed from Masumi Turnbull. Griffiths and Rice each netted goals in the game, with Griffiths notching his goal on a penalty kick.
UCF (6-7-0, 3-2-0 C-USA) is coming off back-to-back losses, at the hands of Tulsa and South Florida. UCF has totaled wins over Memphis, Marshall and UAB in conference action, suffering a defeat at home against FIU. The Golden Knights have not scored a goal in 253 consecutive minutes, dating back to a game-winning goal against UAB.
Offensively for UCF, Kevan George (4 goals, 1 assist), Ryan Roushandel (2 goals ), Kyle Mcentee (2 goals) and Yaron Bacher (1 goal, 3 assists) have carried the load for the Golden Knights. In goal, Sean Johnson – a former U17 Jamaican National Team member – has posted an impressive 1.36 goals-against average, allowing just 18 goals and saving 71 shots on the season. Johnson, a sophomore and native of Lilburn, Ga., has posted four shutouts on the season.
Fans can take advantage of several promotions for the game Wednesday, including the Website Wednesday promotion, where fans can visit UKathletics.com to print out a special admission coupon. In addition, fans can register to win free Chick-fil-A for a year at the game.
