Live blog | Cat Scratches: Injury-decimated team patching lineup together with grit, youth (plus video)
LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the fourth time in the last six games, the Kentucky men’s soccer team will square off with a ranked team, hosting No. 20 Indiana on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (4-6-3, 1-1-2 Conference USA) is taking a break from conference play with the non-league match with Indiana, the Big Ten front-runner. The Wildcats are coming off a pair of 1-1 double overtime ties in league play, tying No. 22 UCF on Wednesday and Memphis on Sunday.
The game will be covered extensively on UKathletics.com, with live stats and a live interactive blog, featuring UK’s director of new media, Eric Lindsey, detailing the action from the pressbox. The contest will also feature several promotional activities, including Website Wednesday, where fans can visit UKathletics.com for a special admission coupon. In addition, the game will serve as UK Student Night, with free shuttle rides from various campus locations to the stadium. All UK student organizations are invited to participate in the Chili Cook-Off, featuring guest judges Josh Harrellson (men’s basketball), head coach Matthew Mitchell (UK Hoops), head coach Gary Henderson (baseball), head coach Rachel Lawson (softball) and athletics director Mitch Barnhart. The winning student organization in the Chili Cook-Off will win 15 pregame field passes for a UK football game.
The Wildcats have been led offensively by junior college transfer Sam Brooks, who paces the Wildcats with seven points, including three goals and one assist. Freshman Tyler Riggs ranks second on the team with three goals, while 2009 freshman All-American Matt Lodge owns two goals and two assists. Freshman Ellis Vienne has added two goals, while Jordan Rose and Charles Pettys have each notched a goal. Rose, Lodge and senior Drew Midkiff lead the team with two assists each.
In between the pipes, UK freshman goalkeeper Tyler Beadle has performed well, totaling a 1.22 goals-against average in his first 13 collegiate games, saving 44 shots and tallying three shutouts.
Indiana (7-4-1, 2-0-1 Big Ten) leads the high-powered Big Ten Conference through three league games. The tradition-rich Hoosiers are coming off a pair of wins, besting No. 11 Creighton on the road and No. 25 Michigan at home. In addition, IU owns wins over No. 5 UCLA, No. 22 Drake, No. 20 Penn State, Evansville and Massachusetts. As a team, IU has averaged 1.83 goals per game and 16 shots per game.
IU has been led offensively by Will Bruin, who owns an eye-popping 10 goals and an assist through 12 games. Andy Adlard has four goals and five assists, while Harrison Petts also owns a team-best five assists. Alex Purdie has three goals and three assists, while Nikita Kotlov has two goals and four assists. In goal, Luis Soffner has allowed 13 goals in 11 games, good for a 1.14 goals-against average. Soffner has saved 27 shots and totaled two clean sheets.
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