Kentucky women’s soccer is set to kick off the 2024-25 athletic year with a Thursday night clash against Central Michigan at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex. The Wildcats, coming off a standout 2023 season, will take the field at 7:30 p.m., marking the first regular-season event on the UK Athletics calendar and the start of the 10th season at the Bell.
The first 250 fans through the gates will receive schedule t-shirts, and tickets for both men’s and women’s soccer matches are available for purchase. For those unable to attend, the game will be streamed live on SECN+.
The Wildcats enter this season with momentum, finishing 2023 with a 9-4-6 record, including a school-record 13-match unbeaten streak. The dynamic duo of Jordyn Rhodes and Marz Josephson was instrumental in that success. Rhodes, who set the program record for career goals, and Josephson, who recorded a stellar 0.62 goals against average, were key in leading Kentucky to its first SEC Tournament appearance since 2020 and its deepest run since 2014.
Returning to the roster are 15 players from last season, including assist leader and All-SEC Freshman Team honoree Tanner Strickland, and Second-Team All-SEC defender Grace Phillpotts. Head coach Troy Fabiano, now in his third year, has retooled the squad with 25 new faces, including nine transfers—five of whom were all-conference standouts at their previous schools—and 16 freshmen, making this one of the largest recruiting classes in program history.
Earlier today, five Wildcats—Maddie Kemp, Marz Josephson, Sophia Mattice, Grace Phillpotts, and Makala Woods—were named to the SEC Preseason Watchlist, with Josephson earning the recognition for the second consecutive year. As the Wildcats prepare to take the field, all eyes will be on how this retooled roster will fare in the season opener and beyond.
