LEXINGTON, Ky. — A year removed from a third-place finish in Conference USA, the Kentucky men’s soccer team opens its 21st all-time season with the campaign lidlifter, hosting Dayton on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
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| Gameday Information |
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| Kentucky vs. Dayton Fri., Aug. 26 – 7:30 p.m. ET Lexington, Ky. UK Soccer Complex |
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The Wildcats will host Dayton in its season opener on Friday, as part of a twinbill with the UK women’s soccer program. The women will host Ohio at 5 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex, before the men’s program welcomes Dayton at 7:30 p.m. ET. Both games will be available through live video, a live interactive blog and complete post-game coverage on UKathletics.com.
Kentucky owns an 11-8-1 all-time record in season openers, dating back to UK’s first season as a varsity sport in 1991. In those 20 previous season openers, UK has outscored its opposition 39-24.
The game will also mark an opportunity for UK head coach Ian Collins to secure his 200th career win. In his 19th year as UK’s head coach, Collins has totaled a 199-154-45 career record overall and a 188-123-36 record with UK. Collins helped form the Wildcats into the powerhouse of the Mid-American Conference, before ushering UK’s transition into C-USA. Since joining the league, UK has totaled the second-most wins in the conference, advancing to each league tournament.
UK returns a bevy of talent, including 2011 preseason All-Conference USA selections Dylan Asher and Matt Lodge. In addition to Asher and Lodge – a pair of freshmen All-America selections – UK returns all-conference performers Tyler Riggs, C.J. Tappel, Tyler Beadle and Brad Walker. UK will welcome some immediate impact talents in 2011, including midfielder Josh Mulvany, and Brazilian talents Pedro Andreoni and Gabriel Conelian.
Lodge has led UK in points since arriving on campus from Rossington, England in 2009, totaling six goals and two assists as a freshman, before notching four goals and three assists in 2010. Riggs, a native of Louisville, Ky., charted a team-high five goals in his collegiate debut season, while Beadle earned All-Conference USA accolades in goal as a freshman in 2010, saving 63 shots and posting a 1.30 goals-against average.
