Kentucky Hosts Bellarmine on Sunday to Close Out Non-Conference Slate
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Looking to bounce back, the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team returns to the pitch on Sunday, Sept. 19 to host Bellarmine at the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex for its non-conference finale at 7 p.m. ET.
Admission to all matches at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex will be free to the public for the 2021 season. For those unable to attend in person, the game will be carried on SEC Network+ with Dave Baker on the call.
UK enters the match with a 5-2-2 mark on the season. It will be a quick turnaround for the Wildcats, who are coming off a 3-0 loss against Texas A&M in the Southeastern Conference opener on Sept. 17. UK was undefeated at home prior to Friday’s loss and has posted three shutouts this year, including two on home turf.
Leading Kentucky’s front line is Jordyn Rhodes, who has a team-high eight goals, five assists, 21 points, 32 shots, and 16 shots on goal. After the first nine matches of the season, she ranks first in the SEC in both points (21) and points per game (2.33) and second in goals (8) and goals per game (0.89).
Joining Rhodes on offense is Hannah Richardson, who ranks second on the team with six goals, 13 points, 23 shots, and 11 shots on goal. Richardson sealed a 3-2 victory for UK on Sept. 12 against Murray State after netting the game-winning golden goal less than a minute into the first overtime period.
Between the posts, Laura Nielsen has recorded 41 saves to rank second in the SEC while her .820 save percentage sits in fourth. Her career-high 11 saves against Dayton on Sept. 2 is also good enough for second in the league.
Bellarmine will arrive in Lexington with a 2-0-5 record, most recently posting a 3-2 win over Chicago State after a 2-0 shutout at Southern Illinois. The Knights are led by head coach Chris Tinius who has amassed a 77-31-30 record in his eight years at the helm. The program is now in its second year in Division I after joining the ASUN Conference in 2020.
Regan Kommor paces Bellarmine with a pair of goals and assists for six points through the first seven matches, while five other Knights have found the back of the net once. Elyssa Francis, who was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 7, has made 33 saves for a .917 save percentage.
The Wildcats will look to maintain their unblemished record against the Knights on Sunday as they own the all-time series record at 5-0. The last meeting between the two teams was on Sept. 6, 2005, with UK posting a 7-1 victory in front of the home crowd.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s soccer program, follow @UKWomensSoccer on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
