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Kentucky Men’s Soccer Weekly Update

Posted at 11:01 PM, Sep 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-02 23:01:04-04

Overall Record (W-L-D): 2-0-0

Record Last Week: 1-0-0

 

Recent Results

Friday, Aug. 31 won v Columbia 1-0 | Recap | Box Score | Photos | Cedergren Interview | Williams Interview | Video – Williams’ Goal

Upcoming Schedule (times eastern)

  • Tuesday, Sept. 4  – v Louisville – 7:30 p.m. – Lexington, Ky. – The Bell– SEC Network+/WatchESPN
  • Saturday, Sept. 8  –at UAB – 8 p.m. – Birmingham, Ala.—CUSA.TV

TEAM NOTES

  • Kentucky earned a second-consecutive 1-0 win to start the season, this time coming Friday against Columbia at The Bell.
  • Junior co-captain JJ Williams’ 58th-minute goal was the difference.
  • The victory improved Kentucky’s 2018 win-loss-draw record to 2-0-0, marking the fourth year in a row the Wildcats have started with such a run.
  • The Wildcats will be riding high now off Friday’s quality result over a Columbia side that returned nine starters from a squad that reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament Second Round.
  • The Wildcats will next host No. 9 Louisville at The Bell on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET with the match to be broadcast on SEC Network+/WatchESPN.
  • Sophomore goalkeeper Enrique Facusse gritted out a second clean sheet on the trot as the reigning Conference USA Golden Glove Award winner now has nine career shutouts from 20 starts.

o   Facusse had to make two saves playing behind an experienced, but mostly young, back line of (from left to right)sophomore co-captain Keyarash Namjoupanah, sophomore Leon Jones, sophomore Aimé Mabika – who was making his season debut – and senior Tanner Hummel.

Offensive Player of the Week Nominee: JJ Williams — Junior – Forward –  

Mobile, Ala.

  • Scored the 1-0 game winner in the 58th minute against a Columbia side that returned nine starters from a squad that reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament Second Round.
  • Williams got onto the end of a ball that was crossed just beyond the reach of an onrushing Wildcat plus three Columbia defenders, eventually reaching the far post. There, the Montgomery, Alabama native hit it with his right foot on the half volley and into the roof of the net.
  • Williams scored his first goal of the 2018 season, and now has a team-best seven career goals.
  • Williams troubled the Columbia defense all night, firing six shots over 90 minutes, three of them on goal.

Defensive Player of the Week Nominee: Aimé Mabika – Sophomore – Defender – Lexington, Ky.

  • Returned to fitness to make his 2018 debut and made an immediate impact in the heart of the Kentucky defense, helping lead a back line that shut out a quality Columbia side that returned nine starters from a squad that reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament Second Round.
  • The UK defense limited Columbia to just four shots with only two of them requiring the slightest of goalkeeper intervention.
  • Mabika won 74 percent of the 19 challenges he made against Columbia.
  • The 6-6, 215-pound center back won five of the six aerial challenges he made, and two of the three tackles he attempted.
  • He made 10 interceptions.
  • He also showed of his exceptional skill on the ball completing all 18 of his non-attacking passes, doing so without any turnovers in his own half.
  • He also proved to be a weapon for UK’s attacking buildup from the back, completing 60 percent of his attacking passes.