Oct. 24, 2006
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - With the Conference USA Championship a week away, the UCF men's soccer team takes on in-state rival Florida International in its final home conference match on Wednesday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex.
The Golden Knights (3-8-2, 1-3-2 C-USA) are looking to rebound from a disappointing 2-1 loss at South Carolina last Saturday. Sophomore Zak Boggs (Vienna, W.Va./The Pendleton School), who scored the team's lone goal against the Gamecocks, continues to lead the team offensively with five goals and 11 points to his credit.
Junior Brian Pope (Lakeland, Fla../Oyster River HS) has started the previous two matches in net. In his UCF debut, he made 10 saves in a double overtime tie with top-ranked SMU before dropping a 2-1 decision at No. 16 South Carolina.
FIU enters Wednesday's match with a 6-7-2 overall mark and a 2-4-0 record in C-USA. With six points collected in conference play, the Golden Bears are ranked in a tie for sixth place with Memphis - just one point ahead of UCF in the league standings.
With two matches in hand, the Golden Knights control their postseason destiny as they try to capture a spot in the conference tournament. Only the top eight teams earn a berth.
"Even in the last week of play, Conference USA is still in a tight race with teams jockeying for position in the standings. Every position is still up for grabs," said UCF head coach Brent Erwin. "UCF has proven its ability to perform. We are ready to go out and play."
Wednesday night marks the 34th meeting between the Golden Knights and Golden Panthers. FIU owns a 23-7-3 advantage in the series. The last UCF victory was a 1-0 shutout in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
"Going back into the history of the program, FIU has always been a great in-state rivalry and now it's a great conference rivalry. Keeping that in mind and with points on the line, neither team is going to need motivation for this match," said Erwin.
UCF plays its regular season home finale against former Atlantic Sun Conference rival Stetson on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. The Golden Knights then travel to Tulsa, Okla., where they take on Marshall on Monday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. in a rescheduled match that was postponed due to poor field conditions.
The 2006 C-USA Men's Soccer Championship begins on Wednesday, Nov. 1 in Tulsa.
Admission to home UCF men's soccer matches for 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.