Sept. 18, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF women's soccer team opens a critical portion of its schedule Wednesday when it hosts Miami to the UCF Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. The match with the Hurricanes starts a five-game homestand that will see the Knights also take on No. 11 Florida State, defending MAAC champion Loyola (Md.) and Conference USA opponents Marshall and East Carolina.
Owners of a 4-2-0 record, the Knights just finished a journey to the state of Mississippi where they defeated MSU, 3-2, before falling to Ole Miss, 1-0. The next time UCF hits the road will be Oct. 12 and 14 when it travels to Tulsa and SMU, respectively.
UCF's offensive spark has come from numerous players, but sophomore Courtney Whidden (Palm Harbor, Fla.) already has recorded five goals to rank tied for second in Conference USA. Meanwhile, her 10 points put her in third on the league charts. Not to be outdone, classmate Becca Thomas (Burlington, Wash.) sits all alone in first place with four assists.
In goal, senior Jennifer Manis (Pensacola, Fla.) has collected a 1.03 goals-against average with 24 saves.
For Miami, the Hurricanes bring a 3-2-1 mark into Wednesday's match-up and have dominated the offensive side of the ball in almost every game this year. After a 1-1 tie at Ole Miss to open 2007, UM outshot Alabama A&M 30-1 in an 8-0 victory Sept. 2. It also recorded 30 shots in a 4-0 shutout vs. Binghamton Sept. 16. Even though it has losses against LSU and USF, Miami has outscored opponents 18-9 and has taken 130 shots compared to giving up just 52.
Leading the way for Miami has been freshman Brittney Steinbruch, who struck for seven goals on 16 shots on net through her first six matches. Defensively, senior keeper Lauren McAdam has played 360:00 minutes in goal and claims a 2.00 GAA with a .619 save percentage. Freshman Kyle Kocarek has seen an even 200:00 minutes as the UM keeper, giving up just one goal while making six saves for a 0.45 GAA and an .857 save percentage.
In last year's clash with UM, the Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead in the 71st minute and added some late insurance with 30 seconds remaining for a 2-0 victory in Miami. With the win, UM pulled even at 4-4-0 in the all-time series vs. UCF.
Following the meeting with the Hurricanes, UCF welcomes Florida State to Orlando Saturday at 7 p.m. The Seminoles were a NCAA College Cup semifinalist last season. The match kicks off near the end of UCF's football game vs. Memphis which starts at 3:30 p.m. Fans who are planning on just attending the soccer match should prepare ahead of time to avoid traffic and parking issues. Meanwhile, the soccer team is hoping to "cram the complex" to support the Knights in their in-state adventure vs. the Seminoles. The UCF Soccer Complex is located to the west of Bright House Networks Stadium on the UCF campus, and all home matches are free to the public.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.