Sept. 21, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Winners of two consecutive games, the Kentucky men’s soccer team returns to the road for its sixth away contest in the first nine games of the 2012 season, traveling to face Evansville, with kickoff on Saturday slated for 8 p.m. ET at Black Beauty Field at Arad McCutchan Stadium.
Kentucky (3-4-0) has won a pair of consecutive games, besting No. 18 Louisville at Cardinal Park last Friday, before posting a 3-1 win over East Tennessee State on Wednesday night at the UK Soccer Complex.
In the win over ETSU, the Wildcats got the first career goals from senior Gabriel Conelian and junior Steven Perinovic and the team-high third of the year from senior Charley Pettys. During the two-game winning streak, UK has gotten splendid play from goalkeeper Jack Van Arsdale, who picked up his first career clean sheet in the win at UofL and allowed only a penalty kick goal in the win over ETSU.
UK has netted 11 goals in seven games, averaging 10.9 shots per game and a 47-39 advantage in corner kicks. Defensively, UK has a 1.42 goals-against average, saving 26 shots. Individually, Pettys leads UK with seven points, owning three goals and one assist. Matt Lodge has three goals, while Tyler Riggs has tallied two goals and two assists. Conelian, Perinovic and Bryan Celis each own a goal, while Kristoffer Tollefsen has two assists. Jacob Kemper and Jacob Scearce each have an assist.
Van Arsdale leads UK with a 1.10 goals-against average in five games and four starts, while freshman Callum Irving has started three games and has a 2.00 goals-against average. Van Arsdale has saved 18 shots in 410 minutes.
Evansville (4-2-0) has scored 10 goals in six games, averaging 10.5 shots per game and owns a 1.64 goals-against average. The Purple Aces have been led offensively by Falik Hajderovic, who has a goal and four assists on the year. Jesse Sharp and Nate Opperman have two goals each, while Alex Kapsalis has a goal and two assists. Dylan Terry has a goal and an assist, while Mark Gonzalez, Nick Schroeder and Brandon Causey have each added a goal. In goal, Eric Teppen has a 1.80 goals-against average, saving 27 shots and allowing 11 goals in six games.
UK owns a 2-3 all-time record against Evansville and has won two consecutive in the series. The Wildcats posted a 3-2 win in 2011 at home and a 2-1 win over the Purple Aces on the road in 2010. In games played at Evansville, UK has a 1-2 record.
