Kentucky ranked fifth as NCAA Tournament nears
Kentucky Wildcats forward Eythor Bjorgolfsson (9) hugs Kentucky Wildcats defender Oliver Juul (20) after the University of Kentucky vs. Notre Dame men’s soccer game on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at the Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Kentucky. UK won 1-0. Photo by Michael Clubb | Staff
October 30, 2021
Kentucky men’s soccer found themselves ranked fifth in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Committee’s latest top 16.
UK checks in just behind Georgetown, Oregon State, Washington and Marshall.
The top 16 ranking correlates to the 16 teams that will be seeded come NCAA Tournament time, with every team guaranteed a first round bye in the tournament, and home field advantage in the second round. 48 teams will make the tournament.
Kentucky is currently 10-0-4 on the season, one of just three undefeated teams remaining in college soccer. The undefeated season marks the single longest undefeated season in Kentucky men’s soccer history, beating out 2018’s 9-0-1 record before falling at FIU. Kentucky would go on to lose to Maryland in the quarterfinals of the tournament that year.
Of the teams currently ranked in the top 16, Kentucky holds a 1-0-1 record, beating No. 6 Notre Dame 1-0 and reaching a 0-0 draw against No. 4 Marshall on the road.
Selection Monday for the NCAA Tournament will take place on Nov. 15.
Kentucky has two games remaining on their regular season schedule, a road battle against Charlotte on Oct. 30, and a home game against FAU on Nov. 5.
If the Wildcats win those games, the 2021 season would go down as the only undefeated season in program history.
