Overall Record: 2-0-0, 0-0-0 C-USA
Record Last Week: 2-0-0, 0-0-0 C-USA
Recent Results
Friday, Aug. 26 * defeated Dayton, 2-0
Sunday, Aug. 28 * defeated No. 9 Michigan, 2-1
Upcoming Schedule (times eastern)
Friday, Sept. 2 * vs. Wright State * 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 4 * vs. IUPUI * 2:30 p.m.
TEAM NOTES
The No. 29 Kentucky men’s soccer team completed a stellar opening weekend with two wins at the UK Soccer Complex, besting Dayton 2-0 in the season lidlifter and posting a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over No. 9 Michigan on Sunday night. UK will return to action on Friday with the University of Kentucky Invitational, hosting Wright State at 7:30 p.m. ET and IUPUI on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (2-0-0) rode breakout offensive performances from Tyler Riggs, C.J. Tappel, Dylan Asher and Charles Pettys during the weekend. Riggs provided the heroics, netting game-winning goals in both games, including his first career two-goal game in the comeback win over UM. Riggs, a native of Louisville, Ky., came off the bench on Friday night to give UK a 1-0 lead with his sixth career goal, leading UK to the win.
On Sunday, UK faced a 1-0 hole in the 78th minute, when Riggs connected on the game-tying goal off the bench, adding the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute. Pettys and Asher each notched two-assist games, with Pettys handing out two assists on Friday and Asher notching his first two career assists on Riggs’ goals Sunday. Tappel netted a goal and added an assist in the win on Friday.
In goal, Tyler Beadle collected his fifth career cleansheet on Friday night and allowed only a penalty-kick goal in the Sunday win over Michigan.
UK’s victory over Michigan marked the first win over a top-10 ranked foe since the Wildcats sprang a 2-1 comeback win over No. 1 SMU in 2007 at the UK Soccer Complex. UK has now won two of the last three meetings between the two clubs, with UM coming off its most successful season in program history, advancing to the NCAA College Cup.
The win on Friday night marked UK head coach Ian Collins 200th career victory, with the 19th-year UK head man owning 190 career wins as a Wildcat. UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart joined Tappel and senior Brad Walker in presenting Collins the game ball on Friday night following the win.
After UK’s upset win over Michigan, the Wildcats advanced into the College Soccer News top 30, checking in at No. 29 in the poll released around 10 p.m. ET on Sunday night following the Wildcats win over Michigan.
OEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
Tyler Riggs, So., F (Louisville, Ky.)
Had a breakout weekend in the season-opening wins over Dayton and No. 9 Michigan, coming off the bench in both games to lead the Wildcats to wins with three total goals … Netted the game-winning goal in both games on opening weekend, getting the Wildcats on the board in a win over Dayton on Friday night in front of 1,334 fans at the UK Soccer Complex … With UK trailing No. 9 Michigan in the 78th minute on Sunday, Riggs came off the bench to net the game-tying goal in traffic inside the six-yard box, then finding the net under four minutes later with the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute on a breakaway, beating the standout UM keeper one vs. one … Riggs’ first career two-goal game marked the 56th all-time multi-goal in UK men’s soccer history, leading UK to its first win over a top-10 ranked foe since besting No. 1 SMU in 2007 in Lexington … The win over Michigan was UK’s second in the last three games, with the Wildcats victory coming over a Michigan club that advanced to the NCAA College Cup last season … A 2010 All-Conference USA and freshman All-Conference USA selection, Riggs led UK with five goals as a freshman, needing just two games into 2011 to net three goals on six total shots.
