Kentucky Women's Soccer puts five on SEC preseason watchlist, plays 3 national TV games

Kentucky Women’s Soccer’s 2024 season began just over a week ago (including a 2-0 win over Central Michigan in the season-opener on Thursday), and the team is already making waves before conference play even starts.

The SEC released its Preseason Watchlist, a list that features 88 players to watch this season. Five of Kentucky’s best made the cut for the list, putting them in an exclusive group of the conference’s most impressive players (with bragging rights).

2024 SEC Preseason Watchlist – Kentucky

• Marz Josephson (GK)
• Maddie Kemp (F)
• Sophia Mattice (M)
• Grace Phillpotts (D)
• Makala Woods (F)

Four of the five players are graduate transfers, the only exception being Grace Phillpotts, who’s making her first appearance on the list after her highest accolade being Second Team All-SEC last season.

Josephson spent her undergraduate time in Chapel Hill, reaching two NCAA finals. After transferring to from North Carolina to Kentucky in 2023, the goalkeeper played all 1,730 minutes of the season with 52 saves and a 0.62 goals-against average. Josephson made her mark as the third-best in program history in the goals-against stat. She finished the season with nine shutouts. Now, with her sixth season of eligibility, we can expect the keeper to do more of the same.

Kemp spent her last four seasons at Gonzaga. Last year, she started in 20 games, scoring nine goals and marking five assists. She ranked first for the Zags in shots on goal (35) and second in points (23), and earned a second-team All-WCC spot.

Mattice spent her last four seasons at Portland. In her freshman season, she was named All-WCC Freshman, then, a spot on All-WCC Honorable Mention in 2022. She started in 16 matches her senior season, scoring a career-high three goals off 10 shots on goal.

Woods came to Kentucky this season from Illinois. In Champaign, the forward started all 17 matches and tied her career-high of three goals in 2023. She also picked up a career-best three assists.

Kentucky Women’s Soccer to Appear Three Times on National Television

This season, the Wildcats will be featured on national television three times, two of which will take place in Lexington. On Sunday, Sept. 8, Kentucky takes on No. 11 UCLA on ESPNU at 12. p.m. EST. Over a month later on Sunday Oct. 13, Kentucky travels to Vanderbilt to take on the Commodores on the SEC Network at 7 p.m. EST. Finally, on Sunday, Oct. 27, Kentucky faces the Tennessee Volunteers in Lexington on the SEC Network at 2 p.m. EST.

After August 15th’s 2-0 win against Central Michigan, Kentucky Women’s Soccer’s season is finally underway. With five players on the preseason watchlist and some national television spots, it is likely to be an exciting year for the ‘Cats. Up next: Morehead State on Sunday in Lexington on the SEC Network+.