UK Finding Right Approach to Top-5 Match with IU
Years later, JJ Williams can still remember Johan Cedergren’s recruiting pitch.
One message sticks out as being of particular resonance to the 6-foot-4 forward from Montgomery, Alabama, now a junior at UK.
“We come here to put ourselves in position to play big games,” Williams said, recalling his head coach’s words.
That being the case, days like Wednesday are why Williams is at Kentucky.
At 7 p.m., the Wildcats will host Indiana in a matchup that will draw the eyes of the college soccer world. It will be a top-five showdown at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex, as No. 4 Kentucky puts its unbeaten 8-0-1 record on the line against the No. 2 Hoosiers (9-1-0), perennially one of the sport’s top programs.
“To play IU at home tomorrow is another chance to prove how good we are,” Cedergren said. “I think that several of our guys are really, really excited. We’re looking forward to it for sure.”
UK has proven its worth repeatedly so far this season, with an ascendant offense headlined by Williams and his seven goals complementing a characteristically stingy Wildcat defense (0.323 goals-against average, third nationally). That combination was on full display in Kentucky’s other previous matchup with a top-10 opponent, when UK got two first-half goals from Williams en route to handing No. 6 Louisville a 3-0 defeat, the Cardinals’ only loss this season.
“I do think that some of the players that we have are some of the best at their position in college soccer,” Cedergren said. “I think that the Louisville game was proof of that. Now let’s see how we do (against Indiana).”
The other thing working in UK’s favor will be what figures to be a raucous home crowd. That was certainly the case in that Louisville match, when each of the Wildcats’ three goals touched off a wild celebration with the student section behind the net.
“The fans are the people that make us strive during the game,” senior defender Tanner Hummel said. “There’s definitely moments in a game where you’re feeling down, you feel like, ‘Oh, I can’t make that run,’ and the fans are loud and cheering and they’re the runs that push you to keep going.”
The Cats, however, will need to walk a fine line between being inspired by that crowd and not letting it pull them out of the habits that have led to their success.
“It’s an opportunity to see how we do we perform against a nationally ranked team,” Cedergren said. “I don’t want us to do anything that we don’t normally do. It’s one of those where you get to the point where you going to get tested and are you comfortable in your own skin?”
Indiana, no doubt, has UK’s attention. The Hoosiers have won nine straight matches, outscoring their opponents 24-3 and taking down four ranked squads in the process.
“They’re of course a great team,” Hummel said. “We just need to treat it like another game, another big home game at The Bell. We always do great here. It’s a great field to play at, one of the best fields in the country, and we need to make sure that our team’s mindset is right, motivated and ready to play.”
Then, there’s the fact that Wednesday’s match is a step outside UK’s conference slate, which will resume Sunday at FIU. That gives Cedergren pause when it comes to hyping Wednesday, but the way his team has played this season means he can’t help but be a little excited by the opportunity.
“For us, it’s a nonconference midweek game in the middle of the season, so I don’t want to blow it up too much,” Cedergren said. “But at the same time, we’ve done really, really well every time we’ve been tested so far this year.”
