Tigers Face Another Tough Test at Kentucky Saturday

WHAT: Match 5
WHO: Memphis at Kentucky
WHEN: 6 p.m. CT, Sept. 12, 2015
WATCH: ESPN3
STATS: Live Stats
TWITTER: @MemphisMSoccer

The rugged early-season schedule continues for Memphis as they travel to Lexington, Ky., to take on No. 15 Kentucky, Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at the Bell Soccer Complex. The former Conference-USA rivals will be meeting for the first time since 2012, when the two teams met twice.

The Tigers' schedule has put them up against some of the best in the nation, with five of the first six opponents having competed in the NCAA Tournament last season.

"We at some point, individually and collectively, have to figure out how to pull these games out," Memphis head coach Richard Mulrooney said. "We set the schedule up this way so that we'll be ready for our first conference game against UCF but our goal is to win these games."

Memphis faced a ranked opponent last week, No. 14 Saint Louis, and played a scoreless first half before falling 3-0. Following that match, the Tigers again played a scoreless first half but lost 2-0 to SIU-Edwardsville.

The Tigers have been tied at halftime of every match they've played this season but have been unable to grab a lead or hold out for a draw.

"I can see on the guys faces that it hurts to lose, and it should, but I also still see the desire to step on the field for the next game. We're 0-4 and the numbers don't lie but the guys are getting more hungry and their learning from these experiences," said Mulrooney.

The Wildcats opened the season with a pair of one-goal wins over Valparaiso and Wright State, each by the score of 2-1. In its most recent match, Kentucky lost on the road at rival Louisville, 2-0.

Sophomore midfielder Noah Hutchins leads the team with two goals while fellow sophomore Andrew McKelvey shares the points lead with two assists and one goal.

"Kentucky is a complete team and they are coached very well. They have athletes that know how to run the system. Their players know how to distribute the ball and they have finishers up top. It will be a testing game. We need to put a 90-minute performance together. We have to see the game out from the first minute to the last and not have any lapses," Mulrooney said.

Kentucky ended Memphis' season in 2012 with a 1-0 win in the C-USA tournament after the two teams tied 2-2 earlier in the year. Those were the last two meetings between the schools. The Wildcats hold a slim edge in the series, 5-4-3. The last three meetings in Lexington have ended in a draw.

Another nationally ranked opponent looms, with a match on the road at Louisville next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Memphis will then return to Mike Rose Soccer Complex for the American Athletic Conference opener against UCF, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

University of Memphis Athletics

Tigers Face Another Tough Test at Kentucky Saturday

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