Sept. 27, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - A week after pulling out a 3-3 tie vs. No. 11 Florida State, the UCF women's soccer team concludes its nonconference schedule Friday with a 7 p.m. showdown against Loyola (Md.) at the UCF Soccer Complex. The Knights will bring a 4-2-2 record into the match as they are undefeated on their home surface (2-0-2).
Friday's game also will be Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night. All UCF employees who attend the Knights' match are eligible to win free tickets to the UCF football game vs. Louisiana Saturday at 6 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium. Admission to UCF's soccer game with the defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season champions is free.
Ranked No. 10 in the Soccer Buzz Southeast Region Poll, UCF is third in Conference USA in scoring by averaging 1.88 goals per game. Of the Knights' 113 overall shots, 59 of them have been on goal for a 52.2 percentage.
The Knights have been paced by sophomore Courtney Whidden in 2007, as the native of Palm Harbor, Fla., has hit the back of the net seven times for 14 points. Her seven tallies are tied for second in the league. Sophomore Becca Thomas (Burlington, Wash.) also has double-digit point totals by racking up two goals and six assists.
UCF's goalkeeper, senior Jennifer Manis (Pensacola, Fla.), has a 1.33 goals-against average to rank fourth in C-USA. She also has collected 41 saves while playing 746:14 minutes.
Although Loyola claims a 2-4-1 record, all of its matches, with the exception of a 3-0 win over Richmond Sept. 23, have been decided by two goals or less. The Greyhounds' other victory came at the hands of Wake Forest, a 2-1 decision Sept. 7. Meanwhile, they have tough losses to James Madison, Old Dominion, Marquette and Colorado College, and a tie at Virginia Tech.
As a team, Loyola has been outshot, 114-72, but trails in the goal column by just a 10-9 margin. Junior Theresa Ferraina leads the way with three goals on 13 shots. In net, sophomore Brittany Henderson has accumulated 56 saves for a .848 save percentage in 647:29 minutes of action.
The only time UCF faced-off with Loyola was in 2005 when the Greyhounds edged the Knights, 1-0, in Orlando.
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.