Sept. 6, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - After taking part in Tennessee's Lady Vol Classic Aug. 31-Sept. 2, the UCF women's soccer team will become the host institution this weekend for its UCF Invitational Friday and Sunday. The Knights are set to match-up against UNLV and UC Davis, while No. 13 South Carolina rounds out the four programs set to compete.
All four matches of the invitational will take place at the UCF Soccer Complex, and admission is free. UC Davis and South Carolina open the event Friday at 5 p.m., and the Black and Gold take on UNLV at approximately 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, UNLV and USC hit the field at 11 a.m., and UCF and UC Davis close the weekend at approximately 1:30 p.m.
"We are really pleased with the quality matches we have for our UCF Invitational this weekend," said Amanda Cromwell. "UC Davis, UNLV and South Carolina all come to UCF undefeated and they offer some of the strongest competition we have ever had in our tournament. USC is coming off a victory against No. 1 UNC and they are now ranked in the top 25. UC Davis beat nationally ranked California in preseason, and UNLV, with its two impressive wins, find themselves ranked in the top 15 in its region. Our team is excited to test ourselves against some very strong out-of-region competition and the fans should be in for some great soccer."
The following notes preview each team that will be participating in the event, including host UCF.
UCF Knights
The Knights (1-1-0) got a taste of a pair of Big Ten teams in the season-opening weekend, defeating Minnesota, 2-1, before falling in a nail biter to No. 7 Penn State, 1-0. Hanna Wilde and Courtney Whidden each tallied goals in the win over the Gophers, while Jennifer Manis stopped 12 shots to tie for 11th on the school's career list for saves in a match. At the conclusion of the tournament, Manis, Arielle Orr and Yvonne George were all selected to the Lady Vol Classic All-Tournament Team.
As a team, UCF currently owns a 299-139-31 record as it searches for win No. 300, and owns a 5-1-0 record in its last six home openers. Through the first two matches of 2007, the Knights have taken 25 shots and Manis has recorded 14 saves in net.
Since the soccer program's inception in 1981, UCF has never faced UC Davis, but it defeated the Rebels in the UNLV Classic a year ago, 3-2, to hold a 1-0-0 all-time advantage in the series. In the last UCF Invitational in 2005, the Knights fell to Mississippi, 2-0, but came back to defeat Buffalo, 2-1.
UC Davis Aggies
With a pair of 1-0 victories to its credit, UC Davis was able to start the year with a 2-0-0 mark by defeating Kent State and Fresno State. The Aggies, who are in their first year in the Big West, also posted an exhibition win over California, which currently stands at No. 16 in the Soccer Times rankings. Redshirt freshman Sarah Peters started both matches last weekend and faced just two shots on goal to post two shutouts. Her effort earned her Big West Player of the Week honors. UC Davis has outshot its competition 28-16 but has given up 12 corner kicks.
UNLV Rebels
The Rebels, No. 12 in the West Region, hosted the UNLV adidas Classic to kick-off the season, and thanks to a 2-0 win over Cal State Fullerton and a 2-1 triumph against Arizona State, they bring a 2-0-0 record to Orlando. In its first match, UNLV outshot Cal State Fullerton, 16-11, only to have the tables reversed as ASU held a 23-12 advantage in the tournament finale. Senior Katie Carney scored both goals in the win over the Titans and added an assist vs. the Sun Devils for five points. Carney capped off the week by being named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week and to the Soccer America Team of the Week. In goal, sophomore Alicia Lugo, gave up just one goal on 14 shots on target for a 0.50 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Although UCF does not face South Carolina this weekend, the Gamecocks complete a very talented four-team field. USC began the season by shocking No. 1 North Carolina, 1-0, in front of 3,099 fans in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Gamecocks returned home to defeat East Tennessee State, 5-2, to go 2-0-0 to open the season. Erin Sullivan recorded the lone goal in the upset over the Tar Heels, and Darcel Mollon hit the net twice in the match with ETSU. Lindsay Thorstenson, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week, the Soccer America Player of the Week and the NSCAA Player of the Week, started both games and has not given up a goal this year on six shots on net.
For more information on the event, including parking and directions, check out the Knights' women's soccer page at www.ucfathletics.com.
And 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.