Jordyn Rhodes wasn’t supposed to be at UK. Now, she’s closing in on career scoring record.

The winding tale of how Jordyn Rhodes ended up on the Kentucky women’s soccer team has already been told.

For a quick refresher, Rhodes was an Indiana commit who was cast aside at the 11th hour following a coaching change for the Hoosiers. Then came a frenetic, last-minute college re-recruitment for Rhodes, who landed in Lexington to begin her college soccer career in 2019.

What’s followed in the years since?

Goals. And a lot of them.

Rhodes, a 5-foot-8 forward from South Lebanon, Ohio, has scored all four of Kentucky’s goals so far in the 2023 season.

She’s scored in each of UK’s matches against Eastern Kentucky, Murray State and Valparaiso, netting the game-winning goals against both of those in-state opponents.

Across her Kentucky career — which is now in its fifth and final season — Rhodes has scored 40 goals for the Wildcats.

That’s good for second place on the all-time Kentucky women’s soccer goal scoring list, trailing only Kim LaBelle, who scored 44 between 1994 and 1997.

With at least 14 games left on the schedule for the Cats this season, it’s possible Rhodes will conclude her college career as the most prolific goal scorer in UK women’s soccer history.

Not bad for a player who wasn’t initially planning on being a Wildcat.

In each of the previous four seasons, Rhodes has scored at least six goals. This includes consecutive 11-goal campaigns for the Wildcats during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

In total, Rhodes (a captain on the 2023 UK team) has scored multiple goals in eight of the 69 games in which she’s played.

Rhodes has twice scored a hat trick for the Cats: Against Florida in the SEC Tournament in November 2020 and against Marshall in August 2021. (Cheryl Shimovetz in 1992 is the only other UK women’s soccer player to have recorded multiple hat tricks during her UK career).

Of her 40 career goals, which one sticks out the most in Rhodes’ mind?

“Honestly, the one that I remember vividly is my very first one,” Rhodes said of her first college goal, which was scored in the 2019 season opener against Bowling Green.

“I just think that I was so shocked that it went in. I don’t remember actually scoring it, but I remember afterward, the celebration, just because I didn’t know what to do. I was a little freshman, it was my first game.”

While Rhodes’ goal-scoring exploits on their own have been plenty impressive, she’s also provided a source of stability for Kentucky during a period of change for the program.

Rhodes was recruited to Lexington by former head coach Ian Carry, who was fired by UK in October 2021.

The arrival of now second-year head coach Troy Fabiano — who described Rhodes as a player who “does a lot of the dirty work” — has meant Rhodes has adapted and adjusted her playing style to fit two different college head coaches.

But the goals have continued to come.

“I’ve just grown in a mature way, like soccer-wise and as a person,” Rhodes said. “Obviously, you come in as a 17-, 18-year-old (and) you have no idea what’s going on. So, just being able to learn from everyone that has been here.”

While Rhodes has risen up the ranks on the Kentucky scoring list, she’s also noted the on- and off-field development that has come with a high-level, five-season college athletics career.

“I’ve probably had a hundred teammates at this point. Just being able to take things from experienced players, the seniors, every year, and just learning from them, honestly, I try to absorb as much as I can,” Rhodes said. “Having two separate coaching staffs as well, they’ve coached completely differently, so also absorbing from the coaches, it’s been a great journey, and I’m sad it’s coming to an end.”

Next game

UT-Martin at Kentucky

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Live video broadcast: SEC Network Plus.

Records: UT-Martin 2-1-0, Kentucky 2-0-1.

Notes: With 40 career goals, Rhodes is just four goals back of Kim LaBelle’s all-time program mark of 44 goals scored.