Kentucky Makes SEC Tournament Return vs. LSU

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Kentucky women’s soccer (9-3-5, 3-3-4 SEC) returns to the postseason on Sunday when the Wildcats square off with the LSU Tigers (8-7-3, 3-5-2 SEC) in the first round of the 2023 SEC Soccer Tournament.

The match will be played at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex, with kickoff set for 2 p.m. (ET). Alex Perlman and Marion Crowder will call the action live on SEC Network.

The Wildcats are making their first SEC Tournament appearance since the 2020 season and their first in the 10-team format since 2015. UK earned the No. 7 seed in the bracket after tallying 13 points during league play, the most for the program since 2014.

The forward tandem of Jordyn Rhodes and Úlfa Úlfarsdóttir have led the charge offensively for Kentucky, combining for 14 of the team’s 23 goals and 34 of 73 points. The Cats have leaned on a sturdy defense all season, allowing just 10 goals across 17 games, and conceding more than one goal in a match only once.

LSU, the No. 10 seed, grabbed the last spot in the field after a 0-0 draw vs. Texas A&M. Freshman Ava Galligan leads the team with 11 points and five assists while graduate student Taylor Dobles has a team-high five goals.

Kentucky leads the all-time series vs. LSU, 13-8-2, but has lost the last three meetings including a 3-2 defeat in Baton Rouge last season. The two sides have faced each other in the SEC Tournament three times, all in the first round, with UK winning twice. Kentucky’s first ever SEC Tournament win came against the Tigers back in 1995. The Wildcats own a 14-18-2 all time record at the conference tournament, winning the title in both 1995 and 2006.

The winner of Sunday’s match will advance to face No. 2 seeded Georgia in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday at 1 p.m.

For the latest on UK Women’s Soccer, follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKWomensSoccer, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.