Women’s Soccer Opens 2016 UK Athletics Calendar Year at LBSU
LONG BEACH, California. – The University of
Kentucky women’s soccer team will open the 2016 season on the west coast, as
the Wildcats will kick off the year with a match against Long Beach State along
the California coastlines at 10 p.m. ET from the LBSU Soccer Complex on Friday
night in the Golden State.
Live stats for the match will be available on
UKathletics.com and LongBeachState.com during the match. There will be no video
service available.
UK had one preseason match, a 2-0 win over the
Pitt Panthers in Lexington. The Wildcats got two goals from junior Tanya
Samarzich, one a half, en route to the shutout win at The Bell. The shutout was
recorded by both freshman goalkeeper, Evangeline Soucie, in addition to senior net
minder, Ayanna Parker, who recorded a save in the match, her only shot faced in
13 minutes of action.
The Wildcats return plenty of goal-scoring
threats for 2016, with Jade Klump returning up top as a senior, in addition to
Samarzich, who is a member of the full Mexican National Team. In the midfield,
the key to the season might be replacing All-SEC performer, Courtney Raetzman,
who is now with the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Junior Katy Keen and senior Kaitlin Miller will look to use their experience to
keep the midfield going this season, as both are veterans of Southeastern
Conference play.
UK returns three of four starters on the back
line, anchored by senior captain Alex Carter and wideback Kelly Novak along the
left side. Both Novak and Carter have played along the backline the last two
seasons, and have developed a strong chemistry between them.
In net, Kentucky started goalkeeper Evangeline
Soucie in its exhibition match on Saturday night, but both her and senior
Ayanna Parker saw time, and that competition has been going on all preseason.
Soucie was named to the 2016 TopDrawerSoccer.com All-SEC Freshman Preseason
Team, the only UK player on the roster
Kentucky opened the 2014 season, which turned
out to be the best year in program history, on the west coast – spending the
opening weekend of the season against Washington (L, 1-4) and at Seattle
University (W, 2-1, OT) to start that season. In 2014, the Wildcats went on to
the 2014 NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 with tournament wins over Southern Illinois
University at Edwardsville and Arizona State before falling to eventual College
Cup member, Virginia in the Sweet 16. That was the first time in program
history that Kentucky opened up the season in the pacific time zone.
Kentucky has never played Long Beach State
before in program history. The 49ers made it to the first round of the 2015
NCAA Tournament qualifying as an at-large team out of the Big West. LBSU lost
to Santa Clara on the road in the opening round.
Match Day 1 – @ Long Beach State
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/2aZtcph
Live Video: http://bit.ly/2bwqwgC
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s soccer team, follow @UKWomensSoccer on Twitter,
Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
