MADISON, Wis. – After a four-game homestand and four straight wins, the No. 10 Wisconsin men's soccer team (4-0-0) will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to face the No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats (1-0-1) Friday in their first ranked matchup of the season.

Here are five things to know before the games.

1 – JOURNEY TO THE TOP 10 - The Badgers have started their season with a bang, winning their first four games to open a season since 2002. The streak garnered them national attention, as they ranked No. 10 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll this week. That's a 12-spot jump from their ranking last week of No. 22.

2 – BOLTZ IS ELECTRIFYING -  After another three-point performance against the Marquette Golden Eagles, Boltz extended his multiple-points and goal streak to four games. His continued solid performances notched him 17 points and seven goals, both of which lead the NCAA.

Boltz also earned his second Big Ten Freshman of the Week award for his contributions to the Badgers 4-0-0 start. Boltz' seven goals so far are the most a Wisconsin freshman has scored in an entire season since Victor Diaz scored seven in 2005.

Boltz holds those honors as well as previously receiving the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award and placing on TopDrawerSoccer's National Team of the Week all in just his first four career games.

3 – DEFEND HARD, ATTACK HARDER - Wisconsin has been putting together well-rounded efforts on both ends of the field. The offense has put together two hat tricks – courtesy of Boltz and sophomore Trip Fleming – and freshman goalkeeper Matisse Hébert has put together two shutouts and only allowed two goals in four starts.  

Fleming's hat trick and seven-point game last week against UIC earned him TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week honors.

As a unit, the Badgers have outscored opponents 15-2 through their first four games of the season. That's enough to tie Duke for first in the NCAA with a goal differential of 13. Their 15 total goals put them second in the NCAA behind Duke.

4 – FRESHMEN FIND SUCCESS - Freshmen have been making decisive statements on the Wisconsin roster. Boltz and freshman Matthew Zachemski have accounted for nine of the Badger's 15 goals so far this season. Hébert, also a freshman, has received a Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week award and shares the lead for both clean sheets and wins in the Big Ten.

5 – A SHORT KENTUCKY HISTORY - Wisconsin faced the Wildcats once before, defeating them 1-0 in Madison in 2023. This will be the first time the Badgers face off against Kentucky in Lexington as they try to build off last year's win to establish a win streak. The Wildcats are coming off a 2-2 draw against Virginia Tech. Kentucky is fighting this year for a sixth straight NCAA Tournament second-round appearance.

EXTRA TIME - The Badgers will play away in Lexington, Kentucky. Kick-off is at 6:30 p.m. central time. Live updates will also be given on @BadgerMSoccer on X, as well as @badgermsoccer on Instagram. Next, the Badgers will face Maryland in College Park on Sept. 13.