By Alex Risen

Winning on the road can be a mark of a champion. However, the UK women’s soccer team has gotten off to a slow start in that aspect of their season, losing their first two Southeastern Conference road games to Tennessee and Georgia.

Head coach Warren Lipka said winning road games is a huge boost to a team’s confidence and winning on the road is a big statement. In fact, Lipka likes being on the road more than playing at home.

“I think it’s great to get on the road. At home, you have to get up and go to class, get to the game, stretch, everything. You worry too much at home,” Lipka said.

While Lipka sees the cons in playing at home, the Cats (3-9-2, 1-4-1 SEC) have succeeded playing at the UK Soccer Complex. They have won two of their three matches this season there as well as recording both of their ties at home.

Lipka said the early losses put pressure on his young team to win now with only five matches remaining in the 2008 season. He said if the season is going to turn around, it has to start on the road this weekend against Arkansas and LSU.

The Cats don’t have an easy battle this weekend though as LSU (10-2-0, 4-2-0 SEC) bares the best record in the SEC West. With a win over the Tigers, the Cats would propel into the race for second in the SEC East.

“Our next games are huge,” sophomore forward Laura Novikoff said. “We have to take it one game at a time and every game from here on out is crucial to our standing.”

But the fans on the road are tough. Novikoff and senior midfielder Nicola Holdsworth agree the fans at home are supportive and calming whereas the road fans are definitively against them.

“It’s just different on the road,” Holdsworth said. “You have the opposing team’s fans against you and you’re just not familiar with your surroundings.”

If the Cats can pull the upset by getting their offense and defense on the same page this weekend, the bus ride home will be a little more relaxing for Lipka.

“Bus rides home aren’t so bad when you win,” Lipka said. “I don’t mind a six hour ride if I just won a game.”