Oct. 22, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky men’s soccer team will return to action on Wednesday, playing host to Tulsa in a 7 p.m. ET matchup at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (4-7-1, 1-2-1 Conference USA) is coming off a 1-0 road loss at Charlotte on Saturday. UK is 1-1-1 over its last three games, with a win over Valparaiso (2-1) and a scoreless draw with league foe South Carolina.
The Wildcats have netted 13 goals and allowed 15 in their first 12 games of the year, sporting a 1.22 goals-against average and owning advantages in shots (198-111) and corners (79-48). UK has won the shots battle in 10 of 12 games.
The Wildcats are led in scoring by senior Brad Doliner, who has four goals and one assist. Sophomore Isak Krogstad has three goals and two assists, with sophomore Jacob Scearce and freshman Sam Miller each contributing one goal and two assists. Junior Justin Laird leads the team with four assists, with freshmen Napo Matsoso, Charlie Reymann and Kaelon Fox each charting a goal and an assist. Senior Tyler Riggs also has a goal, with Bryan Celis and Matt Quick sporting assists. In goal for UK, sophomore Callum Irving has a 1.08 goals-against average in eight games, with 19 saves and three shutouts. Senior Jack Van Arsdale has a 1.50 goals-against average, with five saves in four games.
Tulsa (7-5-1, 2-3-0 C-USA) is coming off a 2-1 loss vs. No. 5 UAB on Saturday. The Golden Hurricane has netted 25 goals and allowed 16 in their first 13 games, with advantages in shots (212-165) and corners (67-63), with a 1.19 goals-against average.
The Golden Hurricane has been led in scoring by dynamic talent Cristian Mata, who has nine goals and six assists. Tony Rocha has three goals, with Akeil Barrett charting four goals and a team-high six assists. Bryce Follensbee has two goals, with Omar Mata netting three goals and two assists and Kyle Cumings owning three goals and three assists. In goal, Jake McGuire has a 1.46 goals-against average in nine games, with Cody Mumma owning a 0.66 goals-against average in five games.
The all-time series with Tulsa is tied, 6-6-1, including a 2-2 mark in games played in Lexington. UK has won two consecutive meetings in the series and has claimed three of the last four meetings.
In the 2012 meeting in Tulsa, UK used goals in each half for a 2-0 win over the 23rd-ranked Hurricane. UK got a goal in the 15th minute from Matt Lodge on a penalty kick, with Gabriel Conelian netting a goal in the 75th minute on an assist from Celis. UK held a 15-8 advantage in shots and a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks, as UK got a three-save outing from Van Arsdale for the clean sheet. UK improved to 9-6-1, 4-1-1 in conference play with the win, with Tulsa dropping to 10-5-1, 4-2-1 in league action.
UK Soccer Complex Game Day
Due to the ongoing construction of the $7.7 million renovations to the UK Soccer Complex, 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.
