Cats to Host Loyola Chicago in First Round of NCAA Tournament
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 19 Kentucky (12-4-3, 4-2-1 Conference USA) will host Loyola Chicago (11-4-4, 5-2-3 Missouri Valley Conference) on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET in the opening round of the NCAA Championship.
The Wildcats’ at-large berth marks the 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and the sixth bid of head coach Johan Cedergren’s eight-year tenure. The Ramblers are set to make their fifth overall tournament appearance and first since 2016.
In its previous outing, Kentucky fell 1-0 in the semifinals of the C-USA Championship to eventual champion and then-13th-ranked Marshall last Friday. Loyola Chicago captured its first MVC Tournament crown via penalty kick shootout in a 1-1 contest with No. 9 Missouri State last Sunday.
The Cats are led on the season by a defense anchored by Aimé Mabika and goalkeeper Enrique Facusse, who were each named to the C-USA All-Tournament Team after recording Kentucky’s conference-best ninth shutout in a 2-0 win over Florida Atlantic in the Nov. 13 quarterfinals. Mabika was also named the C-USA’s Player of the Year and Co-Defensive MVP for his regular season performance, receiving All-Conference recognition alongside Facusse, Kalil ElMedkhar, Marcel Meinzer and Daniel Evans.
Thursday will mark the first all-time meeting between Kentucky and Loyola Chicago. The winner is slated to advance to a second-round matchup at No. 6 Indiana (14-2-4, 7-1 Big Ten Conference), the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, on Sunday at noon. The Cats played to a scoreless draw versus the Hoosiers on Oct. 9 in Bloomington, Indiana.
Tickets to Thursday’s match can be purchased at UKathletics.com/NCAATickets, as well as by calling the UK Ticket Office at 800-928-2287. Tickets for adults (ages 19-64) are $10, while tickets for youth (ages 3-18), seniors (65 and older) and college students (with valid ID) are $5. Admission for children ages two and younger is free. Full-time UK students may present a valid student ID at the student tailgate outside Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex on match day for a free ticket, paid for by UK Athletics. All patrons do require a ticket for entry. Employee ID’s, Junior Wildcat Club memberships and K Fund sports passes are not valid for entry to postseason events.
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.
