Sept. 14, 2009

IRVING, Texas — After extending its school-record unbeaten streak to 14 games with wins over No. 19 Illinois-Chicago and SIU-Edwardsville over the weekend, freshman midfielder Matt Lodge and senior goalkeeper Dan Williams have each been named Conference USA Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.

Lodge, who netted both goals in the 2-1 win over SIUE and assisted on a goal against UIC, was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. So far in four career games, Lodge has totaled three goals and one assist, firing 10 shots, including a team-best six on goal. A native of Rossington, England, Lodge’s two goals against SIUE were impressive, including a free-kick goal taken from 35-40 yards out, bent around the wall of defenders and one-hopped into the net. Lodge’s second goal came when he found the ball in traffic and slipped a well-timed shot into the back of the net for the game-winner.

Williams earned his fifth career C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honor, marking the second most weekly honors for a C-USA defensive player in league history. A native of Fairfax Station, Va., Williams has solidified himself as one of the top keepers in collegiate soccer as a four-year starter at UK. After posting a clean-sheet against the 19th-ranked Flames Friday night, Williams charted his 15th career shutout, good for fourth best in UK career history. On the season, Williams has allowed three goals in four games, saving six shots and totaling a 0.75 goals-against average. Williams has totaled a 1.13 career goals-against average in 58 games and nearly 550 minutes, owning a 30-18-9 all-time record.

No. 25 Kentucky returns to action Wednesday, hosting an athletic Alabama A&M team at 7 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.