Sept. 7, 2007
UCF vs. Cincinnati Box Score in PDF Format
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ALBUQURQUE, N.M. (www.ucfathletics.com) - With less than a minute remaining in regulation play, junior midfielder Ryan Roushandel (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School) knocked in his second goal of the match to give the UCF men's soccer team (1-1-0) a 2-1 victory over Cincinnati (0-2-0) at the Nike/TLC Plumbing and Utility Invitational on Friday afternoon.
"I am extremely proud of how the team played," said first-year head coach Bryan Cunningham. "They persevered for the full 90 minutes and didn't give up when the score was tied. They fought back to steal the goal at the end."
Freshman goalkeeper Sean Johnson (Lilburn, Ga./Brookwood HS) set up Roushandel's first tally, moving the ball forward to freshman forward Matt Luzunaris (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./West Boca Raton HS), who then knocked the ball to Roushandel. He finished the play on a shot from 10 yards in the 34th minute.
The Knights held onto the lead until the 84th minute when freshman forward Chris Thompson evened the match at 1-1. He was assisted by classmate Matt Telting and junior Scott Stockum.
Senior forward James Georgeff (New Castle, Australia) served up the game-winner on a free kick from the right side. Roushandel's header hit the crossbar before beating Cincinnati's freshman goalkeeper Miguel Rosales (two saves).
"James' leadership in middle carried us and Ryan found a way to free up some space. Dustin McCarty also played well in the middle," said Cunningham. "This was a total team effort. Everyone from the starters to the players coming off the bench contributed."
Johnson made three saves to secure his first collegiate win.
"Sean has been doing a great job for us," said Cunningham. "With only two games as our starting goalkeeper, he is maturing nicely and making very good decisions."
The Knights continue competition at the Nike/TLC Plumbing and Utility Invitational on Sunday, Sept. 9, when they face Loyola Marymount at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Fans will have their first chance to see the Knights when they return to Orlando for their home opener against Stetson on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Admission to the match is free.
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 pics.