Nov. 3, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky men’s soccer team wrapped up its biggest week of the season, with a win at No. 22 SMU and a come-from-behind tie at No. 14 Indiana, securing a second-place finish in Conference USA entering the regular-season finale with Memphis on Friday at 7 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (10-4-3, 6-1 C-USA) is having a magical season, rolling through a six-match unbeaten streak – the second-longest streak in the 18-year history of the program. The Wildcats have not lost since an Oct. 8 setback at No. 14 Tulsa, with three of their four defeats coming at the hands of top-25 foes on the road (No. 7 UC Santa Barbara, No. 24 Cal Poly and No. 14 Tulsa). UK, who has totaled 35 goals on the year – the seventh best all-time in Kentucky annals, has posted resume building wins over No. 13 Michigan, No. 18 South Carolina and No. 22 SMU, in addition the 1-1 comeback draw at RPI-leading Indiana on Wednesday.
UK had a big win over SMU on Sunday, just its second in the history of the series, a series the Mustangs lead 5-2. The Wildcats have now won two straight over the tradition-rich Mustangs, after posting a 2-1 comeback win in 2007 for UK’s first-ever win over a No.1-ranked foe.
During the week, UK was led by a front-line team of Chad Hagerty and Marco dos Santos, who each tallied three points in two games, with a goal and an assist. Hagerty, a junior from Louisville, Ky., netted the game-tying goal at SMU and hooked up with dos Santos on his game-tying goal at Indiana on Wednesday. Dos Santos, a Brazil native, had the goal at IU and notched the assist with Hagerty Sunday at SMU. During UK’s six-game unbeaten streak, the Wildcats have ridden the back of Hagerty, who has notched all of his seven points during the streak, a club-high five assists and one goal.
Hagerty’s five assists rank third in the conference, while Michael Strong checks in fourth in points (15), fifth in points per game (1.07), third in goals (7) and fourth in goals per game (0.50). UK’s steady goalkeeper Dan Williams – a three year starter – has totaled a 0.85 goals-against average, the third-best in the league. Of the 15 goals Williams has allowed, two came as own goals, two came on penalty kicks and one came as an alleged 80th minute offsides goal in a loss to Xavier. Tim Crone has totaled five goals and two assists, checking in second on the team, and his three game-winning goal are third-best in the conference.
UK ranks as the league-leader in points (104), goals (35), goals per game (2.06), while checking in second in assists (34), assists per game (2.00), third in goals allowed (15) and goals-against average (0.84).
UK has secured second place in the league with the upset win, as No. 8 Tulsa claimed the regular season conference championship with a scoreless tie vs. South Carolina on Saturday. UK’s win gives them a school-best 18 total league points with one conference game remaining, at home vs. Memphis (6-10-1, 3-4 C-USA) on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. Memphis, South Carolina and UCF are tied for the third-place spot in the conference, with a total of nine points. With six C-USA wins in 2008, UK has posted its most wins in the conference since joining as an affiliate member before the 2005 campaign.
