With SEC play coming up on Friday, Sept. 15, Texas A&M soccer will kick off conference play against Kentucky at Ellis Field.
Matches between the Aggies and the Wildcats have turned aggressive in the last four meetings, with the two sides handed a total of 12 yellow cards. Kentucky was at fault for eight of the bookings, and is at six yellow cards so far this season.
Throughout the all-time series against the Wildcats, the Aggies have never lost. Eight wins and one draw marks the record of A&M against Kentucky.
A&M will host Kentucky for the first time since 2019. The last time Ellis Field hosted the Wildcats ended in the Aggies defeating the travelers 6-1. That game saw five different Maroon and White goal scorers.
Graduate forward Jordyn Rhodes leads the Wildcats with six goals this season, the rest of the team having scored two less. At 6-0-1, Kentucky has scored 15 goals this season and allowed only two.
The experienced backline of the Wildcats is tied for seventh in the nation in goals-against average. Graduate defender Maggy Henschler has the most minutes with 595, behind graduate goalkeeper Marzia Josephson who has 630 minutes.
From playing at soccer powerhouse North Carolina to transferring to Kentucky ahead of this season, Josephson has 14 saves on the season, showcasing her defense’s strength.
Kentucky is also tied for tenth in shutout percentage with five shutouts in seven games, entering the game with four straight shutouts.
The leading scorers for the Aggies are junior forward Maile Hayes and senior forward Jazmine Wilkinson, with three goals each. The Maroon and White have scored 18 goals so far this season.
Shooting 21 times this season, Hayes got 12 of those on target to lead the Aggies in shots and shots on goal. Hayes scored in the most recent match against Kentucky in A&M’s 3-0 win in 2021. Also scoring was junior forward MaKhiya McDonald and senior midfielder Taylor Pounds.
Earning player of the match against Rice, Pounds has appeared and started in seven matches while playing the full 90 minutes in five of them. Pounds returned after a season-ending injury towards the latter half of last season.
Deals on tickets include free admission to volleyball with a purchase of a soccer ticket, as well as free admission to soccer with proof of this weekend’s football ticket. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. and can be watched on the SEC Network.