Oct. 15, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky men’s soccer team will return to action with a non-conference matchup with Valparaiso, with kickoff on Wednesday slated for 7 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (3-6-1) will wrap up its season-long, three-game homestand with Valpo on Wednesday. The Wildcats suffered a 2-1 loss to Evansville in the first of the three-game homestand, before drawing South Carolina in a shutout on Sunday at the UK Soccer Complex.
The Wildcats have netted 11 goals in 10 games to open 2013, surrendering 13 goals and owning staggering advantages in shots (176-88) and corner kicks (75-37). UK has been led offensively by senior Brad Doliner, who has four goals and one assist. Sophomore Isak Krogstad has three goals and two assists, with freshmen Napo Matsoso, Charlie Reymann and Kaelon Fox each sporting a goal and an assist. Senior Tyler Riggs has a goal, with Justin Laird and Sam Miller each notching two assists. In goal for UK, sophomore Callum Irving has made seven starts with a 1.09 goals-against average, owning three clean sheets with 13 saves. Senior Jack Van Arsdale has a 1.67 goals-against average, saving four shots in three games.
In UK’s game with South Carolina on Sunday, UK mounted a steady attack throughout the game that saw a 28-11 advantage in shots, with the Gamecocks getting outshout 11-1 in the overtime periods. In the 2-1 loss to Evansville, UK got the first goal of the year from Tyler Riggs as part of a furious second-half rally that saw UK outshoot the Purple Aces 18-3.
Valparaiso (3-4-5) has netted 11 goals and allowed 15 in 2013, trailing in shots (126-164) and corners (56-61). The Crusaders have wins over No. 24 Michigan State, Western Illinois and IUPUI, with draws at Jacksonville, North Florida, Oakland, Green Bay and Loyola. Valpo has suffered losses to No. 12 Tulsa, Wright State, No. 19 Dayton and Milwaukee.
Individually, Valpo has been led by Charles Barden, who leads the team in scoring with three goals and two assists, with Nick Suker notching three goals and one assist. Todd Vervnckt has two goals and two assists, with Jordan Aidoud, Adrian Graham and Julio Velasquez each contributing goals. Zev Taublieb and Yannick Iwunze each have two assists. In goal, Tom Serratore has started eight games with a 1.10 goals-against average, saving 37 shots with two shutouts. Nico Campbell has four starts with a 1.18 goals-against average.
UK and Valparaiso have met once before in program history, coming in Sept. of 1995 in Lexington. UK posted a 5-0 win, with two goals in the first half and three in the second, as UK owned a 24-5 advantage in shots and a 9-4 mark in corner kicks. UK got a hat trick from Sean Endicott, with goals in the 31st, 77th and 79th minutes. Toby McComas, who had UK’s first goal in the third minute, fired a game-high nine shots, with UK keeper Chris West saving three shots in a clean sheet. Tim Fisk also added a goal for the Wildcats, who won their season opener.
UK Soccer Complex Game Day
Due to the ongoing construction of the $7.7 million renovations to the UK Soccer Complex, University of Kentucky soccer fans will experience some slight modifications to the game day experience during the 2013 season.
Tickets
All fans will be admitted into all games for the 2013 season for free for the duration of the season. Fans will also be allowed to re-enter the complex after initial entrance.
Seating
Seating will be all general admission for the season and seating will all be located behind the team benches on the grassy area opposite the construction site. Fans will be invited to bring their own chairs and blankets to enjoy the action. There will also be seating located behind the goals on each side of the facility, similar to years past.
Construction
Construction will be ongoing for most of the season, and the grandstand side of the facility will be shut down for the entirety of the season. Only credentialed members of the UK staff will be allowed over to that side of the complex.
Facility Entrance
All fans will be entering and exiting the facility using the existing student entrance located between the game field and the practice field. The existing entrance main gate will be shut down and fans will not be able to enter the facility through those gates, as they will be closed during the construction process.
Parking
Fans will be able to park in one of three locations for the season. The first-arriving fans will receive access to the gravel lot located directly across the main gate. Once that lot is filled, fans will be directed to park in the lot that borders the practice field off of College Way. In addition, similar to softball parking in 2013, there will be parking on the west side of College Way in the grassy area between the soccer/softball complex and Commonwealth Stadium. When there are no further available spots, fans will park in select lots of Commonwealth Stadium, which is in walking distance of the UK Soccer Complex. Parking lots will open three hours prior to game time. Handicapped parking will remain as seasons past, with parking available near the main gate in the paved lot.
