Georgia Remains on Road to Face Kentucky Thursday

RV / NR Georgia (5-3-2, 1-1-0 SEC) at NR / #20 Kentucky (8-1-1, 0-1-1 SEC)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 26
Time: 5 p.m. EDT
Location: Lexington, Ky.
Site: Bell Soccer Complex (3,368)

MEDIA INFORMATION
Stream: SEC Network+ (Maggie Davis, PxP / Maddie Lockridge, Analyst)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
X: @UGASoccer
Instagram: @UGASoccer

Social Media: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: Georgia leads 16-9-5
In Athens: Georgia leads 7-5-2
In Lexington: Georgia leads 8-4-2
Neutral: Georgia leads 1-0-1
Last Meeting: Georgia – W, 2-1 (Oct. 31, 2023 – Pensacola, Fla.)
Current Streak: W4
GF / GA: 38 / 31

QUICK KICKS
Remaining on the Road
Georgia, now ranked 31st in the NCAA RPI rankings, returns to the road for a trip to Kentucky Thursday evening. The Bulldogs and Wildcats played a pair of thrillers last season, with Georgia prevailing in both matchups. In the regular season, Georgia clinched its first SEC East championship with Summer Denigan's goal in the 21st minute. Less than two weeks later, the two sides matched up in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, with Denigan earning a red card 90 seconds into the match and Kentucky converting an early penalty kick. The Bulldogs then fought back with Croix Bethune's equalizer in the 63rd minute followed by Mallie McKenzie's late winners, propelling the team toward its first SEC Tournament title.

With Thursday's match, Georgia is looking to extend its four-match winning streak and six-match unbeaten streak against Kentucky. The Bulldogs have found success in Lexington, holding an 8-4-2 record in road matches against the Wildcats. Throughout the Keidane McAlpine era, Georgia has taken care of business against SEC foes away from Athens, posting a 10-2-4 record against conference opponents in road / neutral matches.

Brown Shuts the Dore
Georgia earned its first SEC win last Sunday against Vanderbilt, earning a 1-0 shutout over the Commodores for its first win in Nashville since 2015. Summer Denigan provided the lone scoring in the 17th minute with her fifth goal of the season, expertly depositing junior teammate Cate Hardin's first assist of the season and scoring for the second-straight match. Denigan also entered the program's top 10 in game-winning goals at six. Despite Vandy earning 12 corner kicks, Jordan Brown racked up nine saves, her second-highest total of the season, as she earned her 16th career shutout. The Bulldogs' depth was fully utilized with a season-high 23 players taking the field in the Nashville heat that eclipsed 100 degrees in heat index.

Bluegrass Bulldogs
Two members of Georgia's roster are making their returns to their home state in Thursday's matchup. Summer Denigan (Union, Ky.) and sophomore defender Abby Unkraut (Burlington, Ky.) are both natives of Northern Kentucky and will be playing their first college games in the Bluegrass State. Denigan scored the winning goal in last year's regular season match against the Wildcats, while Unkraut played 48 minutes in the SEC Tournament contest. Denigan and Unkraut both played for Kings Hammer FC - in high school, Unkraut played one season for Notre Dame Academy, while Denigan was a placekicker for Ryle High School. The pair are two of only four players in program history to hail from Kentucky.

Dawg Bites

Through 10 matches, junior goalkeeper Jordan Brown has provided outstanding play for Georgia, tallying 59 saves and a 1.00 GAA. Brown is currently on pace to set a new program record for saves per game in a season (5.90), a total that currently ranks first in the SEC and 24th nationally and is nearly two more than second-place Caroline Duffy of Oklahoma.
Assistant coach Rade Tanaskovic returns to the Georgia coaching staff for Thursday's match after serving on the United States staff for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia. Tanaskovic helped the U.S. earn third place in the tournament, allowing only seven goals with two shutouts.
Georgia has displayed a great ability to play with the lead this season, holding a 5-0-1 record when scoring first in a match.

Up Next
Georgia returns home to face Alabama on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. at the Turner Soccer Complex, with live coverage on SEC Network+. Last season, the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide played to a 1-1 draw in the SEC season opener in Tuscaloosa.

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Players Mentioned

Croix Bethune

Jordan Brown

Summer Denigan

Cate Hardin

Mallie McKenzie

Abby Unkraut