Oct. 20, 2006
ORLANDO - Looking to take sole possession of conference's top spot, the UCF women's soccer team visits Conference USA rival and travel partner Southern Miss on Saturday, Oct. 21 for a 1 p.m. match.
After beginning the season with a tough schedule that included six road games and two matches against ranked teams, the Golden Knights have won six of their last seven outings, including the last four consecutive matches. They enter the weekend with a 9-5-1 overall mark and a 5-1 record in conference play.
With 15 total points, UCF shares the lead in the league standings with No. 19 SMU (12-2-1, 5-0-0 C-USA) and No. 25 Colorado College (12-2-1, 5-1-0 C-USA).
The Golden Knights also rank among the top players in several conference offensive and defensive categories. Senior Roberta Pelarigo (Sao Paulo, Brazil) leads all C-USA players in points (13) and is tied for the top honor in goals scored (7) and game-winning goals (3). On the other end of the field, junior goalkeeper Jennifer Manis (Pensacola, Fla./Washington HS) owns the league's second lowest goals-against-average at 0.69 and is third in save percentage at .840.
Southern Miss, meanwhile, has posted a 4-10-1 overall record and a 0-6-0 record in the conference. Sophomore Sarah McFadden has recorded six goals and three assists for 15 points, while senior Carly Barkley has five goals and one assist for 11 points.
Sophomore Holly Cox and Christina Duvall have shared goalkeeping duties. Cox has a 1.69 GAA in seven games and Duvall has a 1.81 GAA in nine matches.
According to UCF head coach Amanda Cromwell, the Golden Eagles record can be deceiving. "We don't expect anything less than a hard fought game," she said. "Southern Miss has some skilled players who are dangerous up top. With only three games left on the schedule, we aren't taking any opponent lightly. We take care of each game as it comes and are focused upon getting the win."
The two teams first met in 2005 with Southern Miss earning a 3-2 win.
The Golden Knights return home on Friday, Oct. 27 when they face No. 19 SMU at 7 p.m. - a game that will be nationally broadcast on tape delay basis by CSTV on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m., they play host to Tulsa in their regular season finale.
Admission to UCF home women's soccer matches during the 2006 season is free courtesy of McDonald's. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.