Kentucky women’s soccer kicked off its 2024 campaign on Thursday, defeating the Central Michigan Chippewas 2-0.
While a strong showing all around, perhaps some of the biggest sources of optimism for the Kentucky faithful came from the impressive play of the freshmen attack.
(Sydney Yonker)
In fact, both goals in the contest were scored by newcomers as Sydni Fink and Alexis Tylenda both netted their first scores in blue and white in their very first collegiate matches.
The freshmen brought a new and refreshing energy that invigorated the Kentucky team trying to adapt to the absence of program all-time leading scorer Jordyn Rhodes.
Without the core of the 2023 attack, much of the emphasis entering the CMU match was simply on building chemistry and conviction among the new and returning players before the grind of an SEC schedule begins.
After the win against Central Michigan, head coach Troy Fabiano expressed that the early success of the freshmen was thrilling to see as they continue to grow and display what skills they have in their bags.
“Hopefully it boosts their confidence,” Fabiano said. “We played with 24 kids, a lot of new faces. We had eight freshmen on the field, which makes me feel some butterflies inside.”
With the season still in its infancy, Fabiano continues to focus on harnessing the team’s collective strengths to ensure that it can compete effectively and meet challenges head-on. Challenges it is certain to face when looking down the schedule.
With the head coach in year three of perhaps one of the larger rebuilds in college soccer following the disastrous tenure of Ian Carry, Fabiano and the team are working diligently to forge their own path, aiming to build on their strengths and improve upon a 2023 season that gave fans a sliver of what could be to come as far as success in the SEC.
With new players bringing depth and athleticism unseen for years within the Kentucky women’s soccer program, scoring goals will remain a focus as the team continues growing without Rhodes, who is currently playing professionally in Iceland.
Kentucky will have another chance to improve and score on Sunday, August 18, when it hosts Morehead State into the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex. Kickoff against Morehead is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air live on the SEC Network+.
