The Arizona soccer team heads back home to play its first home matches in nearly three weeks, opening a two-game set tonight.

The Wildcats (2-3-0) will play host to Kentucky at 7 p.m. at Murphey Stadium. Kentucky (2-3-1) suffered two home losses last weekend ÷ to a ranked Brigham Young team and to Rutgers ÷ both by 2-1 margins.

"We're excited to be able to play an opponent of that caliber," Arizona head coach Dan Tobias said. "They're a real well-coached team. (Head coach) Ian Collins has been there quite a while."

Last season was the first meeting between the two Wildcat squads. Kentucky won the contest, 2-1, in Lexington. All three goals were scored in the final nine minutes of the game.

The San Francisco Dons will play Arizona on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Murphey Stadium. USF (3-3-0) was edged by Pacific, 1-0, at home last Sunday. They will play at Arizona State on Friday night before heading to Tucson.

USF comes from a conference packed with talent ÷ the last two national champions, Santa Clara and Portland, are from the Dons' West Coast Conference.

"(San Francisco is) another good program from a very good conference," Tobias said. "They're accustomed to playing a very good schedule and from what I know about their team, they have had some pretty impressive results."

The Wildcats and Dons have met twice before, with the Dons coming away with a victory each time. Their last meeting was during the 1996 season, when San Francisco slipped past the Wildcats, 2-0, during the inaugural contest at Murphey Stadium. USF took the first meeting with Arizona, 6-1, during the Wildcats' first-ever season of soccer.

Arizona looks to build on its success from last weekend after notching a win at Northern Arizona on Sunday, ending its two-game losing skid from the Nike Tiger Invitational. This weekend's home stand is the only two games the Wildcats play at Murphey Stadium in their current eight-game stretch.

"We're looking forward to playing some games at home," Tobias said.

The Wildcats have out-shot their opponents, 75-34, in five games this season ÷ a difference of more than eight shots per game. However, the outcome of three of the Wildcats' five games this season has been decided by one goal or less.

"We've been a team thus far that has played better every game," Tobias said. "It doesn't always show in the score, but we have been. I've been pleased with the team's progress."

Currently leading the UA in goals is junior forward Candice Wilks (8 points). Wilks has scored one goal in four of the Wildcats' first five matches this season, including the game-winner against Northern Arizona last weekend.

She has carried the Wildcat offense while redshirt sophomore Kelly Nelson has been sidelined.