By Jacob Most
Sept. 12, 2014 –
Lexington, Ky. – Five days after one of the biggest wins in UK men’s soccer history, the Wildcats will welcome the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers to the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex for a Saturday 7 p.m. ET kickoff.
Kentucky defeated top-ranked Notre Dame 1-0 on last-second goal from freshman Stefan Stojkovic on Monday in South Bend.
The Wildcats will look to continue that momentum, and earn a measure of revenge on Saturday.
The teams have met twice before, each of the past two years having split the series. Kentucky won 3-1 at home in 2012, while ETSU got a 1-0 result in Johnson City last season.
Saturday’s match will be broadcast live on SEC Network+ with Dave Baker on the call. Live statistics will be available on UKathletics.com.
Kentucky is 2-2 this season, and 1-0 at its new home stadium having defeated Belmont 2-0 two weeks ago.
The Wildcats went 1-1 in their two games, which came against the previous two National Champions, No. 17 IU and Notre Dame. UK lost 1-0 in a lightning-shortened affair vs. IU.
Junior GK Callum Irving, a preseason All-Conference USA selection, had a shutout vs. Notre Dame, his second this season and the ninth of his career, moving him into a tie for sixth in UK history in terms of clean sheets.
Irving, the team’s lone-captain, has also played every minute this season. UK has found defensive stability in the back-4 of Charlie Reymann, Jordan Wilson, Kaelon Fox and Matt Quick.
UK’s current first-choice back line has allowed just one goal in the three matches they have started this year.
Stojkovic’s goal vs. Notre Dame was the first of his career. The goal came with 25 seconds remaining in regulation time, making the score the fourth latest in UK history.
The ETSU match begins a four-match home stretch for the Wildcats. UK will face Xavier, Furman and No. 5 Louisville in succession after facing a formidable ETSU team.
The Buccaneers are 2-1 this season, although they dropped their last outing 1-0 vs. Radford. ETSU beat William and Mary and VCU in that order to being the season.
