UK MSOC 2017 Season Begins Friday at The Bell

The Kentucky men’s soccer team will begin its 2017 campaign against Marquette on
Friday with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. ET at The Bell.
ESPN3/WatchESPN will broadcast the match.
The setup
Kentucky finished 2017 with a record of won 11, lost 5, drew 3 losing in the NCAA Tournament second round.
Marquette finished 2017 W5, L7, D4.
UK begins the 2017 season having been selected for the NCAA Tournament three seasons in a row and in four of the last five years, which accounts for the entire Johan Cedergren era.
Kentucky finished 2016 undefeated at home in the regular season (8-0-2) for the first time in program history. UK lost to Creighton in the NCAA Tournament second round at The Bell last November.
Kentucky returns 16 players from the 2016 roster.
2017 returners scored 14 of UK’s 28 goals last season.
Kentucky has finished each of the last three seasons with a top-25-ranked goals-against-average defense.
The precedent
Kentucky leads the all-time series 1-0, having won 4-0 in Milwaukee last season in the season opener.
Kentucky is 15-10-1 all-time in regular-season openers.
The Wildcats have won two openers in a row. Kentucky is 3-2 in season openers under Johan Cedergren.
Kentucky returns five players that started more than 10 games a year ago.
Kentucky has won its home opener in all three previous seasons at now four-year-old Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
The logistics
Gates will open at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for the general public and $2 for youth and seniors. Fans can purchase tickets online via Ticketmaster or by calling (800) 928-2287, or at the ticket window at The Bell.
Kentucky Athletics is excited to introduce ticket scanning at The Bell this season. Season ticket holders will receive individual game barcoded tickets to be scanned on game day.
Season ticket holders still receive a 2017 Kentucky Soccer scarf as a gift for their season ticket purchase (based on availability). Season tickets are still available for $30 through UKAthletics.com/tickets.
The first 200 UK students to arrive at The Bell on Friday will receive Blue ReBELLion: T-Shirts.
The first 250 fans, not just students, to enter The Bell will receive a commemorative match poster.
Parking for the match is first come first served located outside the stadium’s main entrance and in the Kroger Field blue and green lots with continuous shuttle service running from car parks up to the front gates of The Bell beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The shuttle will continue until one hour after the match.
UK players will sign autographs on the side of the pitch following the match weather permitting.
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For the best coverage of UK men’s soccer follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in addition to on UKathletics.com.
‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Jake Most