Oct. 9, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s soccer team will be in search of its third win over South Carolina in the last four years on Friday night as the Wildcats return home after a two-match road trip to face the Gamecocks at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
The Kentucky gymnastics team will hold a Halloween costume drive at several UK events to collect costumes for underprivileged children in the Lexington area, as part of Kentucky Athletics’ `Wildcats Give Back’ initiative.
The team will collect the costumes at the UK vs. ULM football game on Oct. 11 from 9:30 – 11:45 a.m. ET at Commonwealth Stadium at the Guest Services Desks outside gates 1 and 9. The team will also collect costumes in the hour before the UK women’s soccer match vs. South Carolina on Oct. 10 at the Bell Soccer Complex and the volleyball team’s contest vs. LSU on Oct. 19 at Memorial Coliseum. Costumes can also be donated at the Joe Craft Center at the Welcome Center in the main lobby from Oct. 13-17 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday night’s match is the only match of the weekend for the Wildcats, and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network+, ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. The match will be called by Neil Price (pxp) and J.D. Stephenson (color).
South Carolina enters the weekend at 9-3-1 overall and 2-2-1 within the Southeastern Conference, just one point ahead of the Wildcats on the SEC table. USC went 1-0-1 last weekend in its two matches, tying Alabama 1-1 on Friday night before shutting out LSU, 1-0 on Sunday in Columbia to cap off an undefeated weekend.
The Gamecocks are currently No. 14 in the NCAA RPI and lead the SEC in a number of defensive categories. In non-conference play, the Gamecocks gave up just one goal the entire non-conference season. USC has not lost away from home yet this season, as they are 3-0-1 away from Stone Stadium. Under the direction of Shelley Smith, USC is holding its opponents to just 0.37 goals per game.
UK is 22-4-2 in its last 28 home games, dating back to the 2012 season, with wins over No. 13 Florida and a draw with No. 6 Texas A&M. UK has won its last two NCAA Tournament matches on home soil (UT Martin, Ohio State).
Arin Gilliland in the SEC is 1st in shots (61), 1st in shots per game (5.58), 3rd in points (20), 3rd in points per game (1.88), 2nd in assists (8) 2nd in assists per game (0.69), 9th in goals (6) and T-6th in goals per game (0.50). In national stats released this week, Arin Gilliland is 8th in assists per game, 26th in points per game, 8th in total assists, and 28th in total points in the country.
Wildcats forward Jade Klump has scored six goals this season, after just one a season ago in her freshman season. The Pacific, Mo., native is now being called “Shade” by her teammates since she is a new and improved player and person from the 2013 season.
This weekend’s showdown marks the 21st all-time meeting between UK and USC. The Wildcats lead the series 12-7-1 and have won two of the last three meetings between the two sides. Since 2000, only one time has more than two goals been allowed by either side in the fixture, including the teams’ 1-1 draw in the 2010 SEC Tournament quarterfinals. There have been eight shutouts in the series, with UK owning an all-time 27-22 goals edge in the series. The Wildcats won the first seven meetings.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
