Sept. 15, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Maitland's Dustin McCarty (Winter Park HS) scored his first collegiate goal as the UCF men's soccer team earned a 1-1 double overtime tie with Memphis at Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon. It was the Conference USA opener for both squads.
The Knights (2-2-1, 0-0-1 C-USA) took the early lead when McCarty sent a bullet from the top of the box past Tigers' goalkeeper Tyler Strom in the ninth minute.
UCF held host Memphis (2-1-2, 0-0-1 C-USA) scoreless until the 77th minute. Freshman midfielder Ryan Ruble dropped a shot in from 18 yards. He was assisted by sophomore forward Brian Farrell and junior defender Michael Coburn.
"We started fast and played well the entire match," said first-year head coach Bryan Cunningham. "We had one let down in the back that caused the goal. In conference matches, we can't do that. Every decision in these games matters."
UCF freshman goalkeeper Sean Johnson (Lilburn, Ga./Brookwood HS) made six saves on the afternoon, while Strom had four, all in the second half.
"We had some good chances to score at the end of regulation and also had some opportunities in overtime," said Cunningham. "We're a young team. We're still growing and learning from our mistakes. We'll take what we've learned here and focus on improving as we head to Boston University for our next game.
The Knights continue their road trip with a visit to Boston University (2-3-0) on Monday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Next weekend, they host College of Charleston, Wofford and Stetson in the UCF Fall Classic, beginning on Friday at 5 p.m.
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