Kentucky men’s soccer beats No. 1, then No. 2. But is postseason play still within reach?

After a discouraging start to the 2023 season, a path somehow remains for the University of Kentucky men’s soccer team to advance to the postseason.

And the way the Wildcats are playing now, it would be a shame for them not to take advantage of that opportunity.

Five days after defeating the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, Kentucky knocked off No. 2 on Friday night, defeating West Virginia 1-0 in a critical Sun Belt Conference contest at the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington.

Now, in a season that began with Kentucky ranked No. 3 in the country before devolving into a 3-6 start and a tumble from the Top 25, everything is still on the table for the Wildcats.

Kentucky (5-6-4 overall, 2-3-3 Sun Belt) is in sixth place in its 10-team league, a conference whose postseason tournament invites only eight teams. The Sun Belt Tournament champion claims the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, an event for which Kentucky has qualified five straight years and in nine of 11 of Johan Cedergren’s previous seasons as head coach.

One regular-season match remains for the Wildcats, on Tuesday night at ninth-place Georgia Southern (2-8-6, 1-4-3). A win or a tie would secure enough points for Kentucky to finish among the league’s top eight. A loss wouldn’t automatically kill the Cats but would put their fate in the hands of others.

As for the NCAA Tournament, an at-large bid is not out of the question for the Wildcats. They are No. 69 in the most recent Ratings Percentage Index but should receive a boost from Friday night’s win. However, only 48 teams qualify, meaning UK still has work to do.

Kentucky stood 3-6 after a 1-0 loss to then-No. 3 and now No. 1 Central Florida on Sept. 29. UK has not lost since then, stringing together draws against Indiana, Coastal Carolina, James Madison and Georgia State before shocking top-ranked Marshall 2-0 in Huntington, West Virginia, last Sunday, then beating No. 2 West Virginia on Friday night.

Freshman Alfred Baafi scored the lone goal of the night in the 32^nd minute, his first as a Wildcat. His right-footed shot to the top right of the net was assisted by sophomore Max Miller. The former Bryan Station High School standout leads UK with six assists this season.

Goalkeeper Casper Mols earned his second consecutive clean sheet to shut out previously undefeated WVU (11-1-4, 4-1-3). The sophomore recorded eight saves.

Kentucky was the No. 1 overall seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament before an unexpected round-of-16 knockout. The Cats opened this season ranked No. 3, despite losing their top five goal scorers from last season and seven players all-told who departed to pursue pro careers.

Cedergren knew his team faced a daunting schedule this season but said he’s reached a point where records are not the most important thing.

“I think as you do this longer and longer, it’s more about the performance,” Cedergren said before the season.

The UK head coach said after the team’s draw with Indiana that the team was “trending in the right direction.”

And now?

After consecutive victories over No. 1 and No. 2, anything seems possible.

Volleyball on a roll

Kentucky’s men’s soccer team isn’t the only group of Wildcats catching fire at the right time.

UK’s 15^th-ranked volleyball team defeated LSU in straight sets Friday night in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for its eighth consecutive victory after starting the season 3-7.

Kentucky (11-7 overall, 9-1 Southeastern Conference) faced three top-10 foes and two additional top-25 opponents during that early rough patch but now has found its groove. The Wildcats, in pursuit of their seventh consecutive SEC title, are tied for first place in the league with 10^th-ranked Arkansas but own the tiebreaker by virtue of their 3-2 win over the Razorbacks last Sunday in Rupp Arena.

A lot of volleyball is still ahead. Eight regular-season games remain, including a visit to Arkansas on Nov. 22, two matches against 19^th-ranked Florida and a trip to No. 24 Auburn.

Kentucky defeated LSU on Friday night by scores of 25-18, 26-24 and 25-18, after beating the Tigers (8-11, 3-6) earlier this season in Rupp Arena 3-1.

Senior Reagan Rutherford and freshman Brooklyn DeLeye sparked Friday’s victory with 11 kills each.

Kentucky returns to the court Friday at South Carolina (8-11, 2-8).

Cross country at SEC Championships

Kentucky’s men finished eighth and its women 12th in the SEC Cross Country Championships at Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday.

Jake Allen’s personal-best time of 23 minutes, 29.1 seconds across the 8-kilometer course was good for 15^th place in a field of 107 runners. UK’s top five finishers totaled 197 points.

Arkansas won the event with 38 points. Victor Kiprop led Alabama to a second-place finish by taking the individual title in a time of 22:23.4.

Ally Kruger covered the women’s 6K course in 21:04.7 to lead the Wildcats, finishing 37^th among 136 participants. UK’s top five totaled 292 points.

Florida won the women’s team competition with 49 points, led by Parker Valby’s first-place finish in 18:37.5.