# UK men's soccer hosts Marshall in Sun Belt Conference opener **Published:** 2026-09-17T17:21:52.000Z **Source:** [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/17/wildcats-host-marshall-in-sun-belt-opener/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-men-s-soccer-hosts-marshall-in-sun-belt-conference-opener LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky men's soccer team will open its 2026 Sun Belt Conference schedule against Marshall on Friday night, seeking its first victory of the season after an 0-3-2 start, according to [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/17/wildcats-host-marshall-in-sun-belt-opener/). The Wildcats will face the Thundering Herd at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Bell Soccer Complex in the final match of Kentucky's second homestand. The contest marks the 43rd meeting between the programs in their history. Kentucky has struggled early in the 2026 season, with losses to Louisville, Virginia Tech and Ohio State, along with draws against Western Michigan and Evansville. Freshman forward Costa Iliadis has emerged as the team's offensive leader, scoring two goals and adding three assists for a team-leading seven points. Iliadis also leads the Wildcats with 15 shots and four shots on goal. Marshall enters the matchup with a 2-1-2 record after dropping a 2-1 decision to Utah Valley last week. The Thundering Herd were previously ranked No. 20 in the United Soccer Coaches poll but fell out of the rankings following their first loss of the season. However, they are receiving the most votes among unranked teams. The match will stream live on ESPN+. UK Athletics is promoting "white out night" at the Bell, encouraging fans and students to wear white in support of the Wildcats. The university will distribute free t-shirts to students in attendance and offer Big Blue Madness ticket giveaways to all fans. Admission to all regular-season home matches is free to the public. For updates on Kentucky men's soccer, fans can follow the team on social media or visit [UKAthletics.com](https://ukathletics.com/). ## Sources - [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/17/wildcats-host-marshall-in-sun-belt-opener/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from UK Athletics. The original source is available at https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/17/wildcats-host-marshall-in-sun-belt-opener/.