Cats Return Home for Sunday Kickoff with South Carolina

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Following seven full days of rest, No. 16 Kentucky (8-2-3, 2-1-1 Conference USA) is set to return to competition for a league matchup versus South Carolina (6-7-2, 1-4 C-USA) on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
 
The Wildcats enter the weekend seeking a third straight win on the season, a third overall conference win and a third consecutive victory in the all-time head-to-head series with the Gamecocks.
 
In its last outing, Kentucky earned its first C-USA road win in a gripping 2-1 double-overtime contest at Old Dominion on Oct. 19. Freshman Eythor Bjorgolfsson scored the first and second goals of his career, joining Aimé Mabika as the second UK player to record a brace this season.
 
The Cats’ first goal versus the Monarchs was scored off a corner kick from Marcel Meinzer with only 10 men on the field while facing a 1-0 deficit in the second half. After three combined red cards between the teams, Meinzer and junior Bailey Rouse assisted Bjorgolfsson on the golden goal in a match that ended with just 19 players on the pitch.

South Carolina enters Sunday with just one win its last six matches, most recently falling at home to Jacksonville by a 3-2 final last Wednesday.
 
As the only two schools primarily affiliated with the Southeastern Conference with men’s soccer programs competing in C-USA, Sunday marks the annual de facto “SEC Championship” between UK and USC. Kentucky defeated South Carolina 2-1 on the road last season.
 
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s soccer team, follow @UKMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.