Kentucky Closes Homestand vs. Belmont on Thursday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky women’s soccer (4-0-1, 0-0-0 SEC) finishes out its four-match homestand this Thursday when the Wildcats battle Belmont (1-3-2, 0-0-0 MVC) at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex beginning at 7:30 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets or watch the action live on SECN+.
Thursday’s match will be the first-ever meeting between Kentucky and Belmont. The Cats enter unbeaten through their first five matches for the first time since the 2019 season and have shutout their last two opponents. Last Sunday’s 1-0 win over Illinois was UK’s third-consecutive victory over a Power Five non-conference opponent, its longest such streak since 2013.
Fifth-year forward Jordyn Rhodes leads the SEC with six goals on the season. Rhodes has scored in all five of Kentucky’s matches to this point and is up to 42 goals for her college career, just two goals shy of Kim LaBelle’s program record of 44. The South Lebanon, Ohio native was awarded SEC Offensive Player of the Week this past Monday, the first Wildcat to win an SEC weekly award since Rhodes herself earned the honor in November of 2020. Her current five-match goal streak is the longest of her career and her four game-winning goals this season are also a new career-best.
Grad-transfer Marz Josephson has collected two consecutive shutouts in goal for the Wildcats, giving her three through the first five matches. Josephson made a career-high seven saves in Kentucky’s 1-0 win over Illinois, the most in a single match by an SEC goalkeeper this season.
After an opening-night win North Alabama, Belmont has gone without a victory in its last five matches, falling to Middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Cleveland State. The Bruins were able to post a pair of road draws against both Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky.
Belmont was picked to finish seventh in the Preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll. The Bruins return a pair of Third Team All-MVC honorees in Maci Pekmezian and Sarah Doyle. Pekmezian leads the team with three points so far in 2023 on a goal and two assists.
The meeting between the Bruins and Wildcats will also bring about a return to Lexington for Belmont head coach, Kelsey Fenix Cameron. Cameron, who is in her first year leading the Bruins, played at UK from 2004-07 scoring six goals and adding six assists.
Thursday will be TikTok Thursday at the Bell featuring popular TikTok songs, pizza for UK students and a pop-its giveaway for kids.
For the latest on UK Women’s Soccer, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKWomensSoccer, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
