Matt Lodge and the UK men’s soccer team host Marshall 7 p.m. Wednesday at the UK Soccer Complex. (Chet White, UK Athletics)
Both UK’s men’s and women’s soccer teams have gotten off to strong starts this season. Unfortunately, soccer fans in Lexington just haven’t gotten to see much of either squad lately. With Ian Collins’ and Jon Lipsitz’s teams playing extended stretches on the road, the UK Soccer Complex has hosted just one game since Sept. 11, a 3-2 win by the men over Evansville on Sept. 23. That’s about to change beginning tonight, as the men take on Marshall at 7 p.m. in the Wildcats’ Conference USA home opener. Since opening the season with five consecutive home games, UK went 3-5 over an eight-game stretch that featured seven road games and four against ranked opponents.The Cats traveled nearly 10,000 miles during the four-week period and, though they lost a few games, optimism over the strength of the team has not dampened. UK is paced by a high-powered offense that is second nationally in goals scored and will be looking to put on a show as the Cats play three games in a row over the next week. The home games will be crucial as the Wildcats look to strengthen their resume for the conference and NCAA tournaments.The road stretch for the women’s team hasn’t been quite as extreme, but UK has played five games in a row on the road, including the first four of SEC play. UK is off to a 2-2 start in conference, including a win in Columbia, S.C. that marked the program’s first over South Carolina since 2006. UK will begin a four-game home stand on Friday with a matchup against Arkansas at 7 p.m.With beautiful weather forecast for the next week, the upcoming men’s and women’s soccer games could be among the last opportunities to see any UK teams play in warm temperatures and under sunny skies.