Oct. 28, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Winners of four straight and paced by the 13th-best scoring offense in collegiate soccer, the Kentucky men’s soccer team steps out of Conference USA action with a midweek showdown with No. 18 Indiana, on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Kentucky (9-4-2, 5-1 C-USA) has posted four consecutive wins, all in conference play, boosting the Wildcats to second place in C-USA. UK’s matchup with Indiana will mark its final non-conference tune-up of the year, with two league matches left to play – at SMU on Sunday and at home vs. Memphis.
UK ranks 13th in the NCAA in scoring offense, with 2.13 goals per game and 34th in the nation in goals-against average (0.83). The Wildcats check in third in the conference in shots (196), second in points (95), first in goals (32), first in goals per game (2.13), assists (31), assists per game (2.07), third in goals allowed (0.87) and second in goals-against average (0.83).
Of UK’s four losses on the year, three came at the hands of a top-25 foe on the road (No. 7 UC Santa Barbara, No. 24 Cal Poly and No. 14 Tulsa). The Wildcats won their fifth conference game of the year, marking the third consecutive year UK has totaled five conference wins. Since 2006, UK’s second year in the conference, the Wildcats have totaled 46 points in league play, second in the conference to Tulsa’s 53 total points since 2006.
The Wildcats are coming off a 2-0 week that saw UK run up two come-from-behind wins over UCF and FIU at the UK Soccer Complex. On Saturday, UK posted a golden goal in the 103rd minute of a win over FIU, getting a game-winner from preseason All-Conference pick Masumi Turnbull and a game-tying goal from C.J. Tappel, in addition to Jason Griffiths’ fourth penalty-kick goal of the year. In a 2-1 comeback win over UCF Tappel netted another game-tying goal, with Tim Crone netting his club-best third game-winner of the year in the 64th minute.
UK has been led offensively by senior forward Michael Strong, who leads the club with seven goals, ranking 41st nationally in goals per game (0.58). Crone, a junior forward, has posted five goals and two assists on the year, while Giffiths had netted four goals – all on penalty kicks. In between the pipes, UK co-captain Dan Williams – one of the top keepers in the nation – has posted a 0.84 goals-against average, toiling five shutouts and allowing just 13 goals in 15 games. Of the 13 goals allowed by Williams, two came on penalty kicks and two came on own goals.
UK owns a 1-14-1 all-time record against the tradition-rich Hoosiers, with its lone win coming in 1995. Last year, IU posted a dominating 4-0 win in Lexington. UK tied IU in 2004, a scoreless, two-overtime match at the UK Soccer Complex. Indiana, the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Champion, is averaging 2,120 fans per contest in seven home dates during the 2008 season.
Indiana (9-4-2, 2-2-0 Big Ten) has posted three consecutive wins, including a 3-2 overtime win over Ohio State last time out. The Hoosiers tallied wins over No. 14 Louisville and No. 9 Notre Dame during its streak. Two losses for IU came against common opponents for the Wildcats, a 2-1 setback at UC Santa Barbara and a 1-0 loss against No. 13 Michigan, a team UK dominated in a 2-0 result in Lexington. Andy Adlard, the reigning Soccer America National Player of the Week, has led the way for IU totaled a club-high five goals on the year. Will Bruin ranks second with four goals, while Kevin Noschang ranks third with seven points – three goals and one assist.
