Sept. 9, 2007
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ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Three goals in a span of 4:11 in the first half lifted the UCF women's soccer team over UC Davis, 3-0, in the final match of the UCF Invitational Sunday. Although rain forced the last 13:46 to be wiped out, the Knights were able to claim the tournament title based on goal differential, and also improve their record to 3-1-0 for the season.
Senior Kate Begley got on the scoreboard for the first time in her career, while sophomore Yvonne George also notched her first goal as a Knight. George capped off her weekend by being named the UCF Invitational Tournament MVP. Sophomore Courtney Whidden earned the Offensive MVP award, and all three players were joined by sophomore Becca Thomas and senior Kelsey Kravec to the UCF Invitational All-Tournament Team.
"The quality of the teams we had in this tournament was fantastic," said head coach Amanda Cromwell. "All of the teams came in with undefeated records and South Carolina beat No. 1 North Carolina to open the season, so it was a great tournament in that respect.
"Even though we didn't play South Carolina, when you look at the results it shows that we are right there with them. We scored five goals in two games and that says a lot about how we are getting up the field. So many of our players, such as George, Begley, Whidden, Thomas and (Nikki) Moore contributed from all over the field. It wasn't just one person out there. The big thing we want to look at is the chances we were generating. We created so many good opportunities during the tournament and more than 50 percent of our shots were on goal. It was an overall team effort, and that's a big positive heading into next weekend when we face Mississippi State and Mississippi."
No. 13 South Carolina (4-0-0) also went 2-0-0 for the event, but had a +2 goal differential compared to +4 for the Knights. UC Davis (2-2-0) and UNLV (2-2-0) each suffered two losses on the weekend.
George provided UCF with the best scoring chance in the first 10 minutes against UC Davis Sunday. As she sprinted down the left side, George evaded a defender, went towards the middle and fired a shot right on net that UC Davis goalkeeper Sarah Peters was able to smother to keep the game scoreless.
George came right back in the 15th minute and this time her shot found the back of the net. Taking a pass from freshman Amanda Martorana, George ripped the ball just under the crossbar from about yards in front for the 1-0 lead.
UCF wasted little time in adding some insurance. Less than two minutes after the first goal, Whidden slipped past the defense and hit the top right corner from the left side for her third goal of the season. And only two minutes after the Knights took a 2-0 advantage, Begley tipped in a sharp-angle shot that Thomas set up and the ball somehow found the right-side of the net for the final 3-0 margin.
The Aggies stepped up their pressure in the second half and were able to put three shots on goal only to see senior keeper Jennifer Manis brush them all aside. Both programs then had to suffer through a lengthy weather delay with less than 20 minutes remaining. They managed to play about four more minutes before rain and lightning forced officials to end the game early.
Manis' effort in net enabled her to post her sixth shutout in a Black and Gold uniform, and the first of the 2007 campaign. UCF finished by outshooting UC Davis 19-9 with 14 of those shots coming in the first half.
UCF returns to the road for a pair of matches against SEC opponents next weekend. The Knights visit Mississippi State Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. and finish the trip at Ole Miss Sept. 16 at 2 p.m.
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.
UCF Invitational All-Tournament Team
Blakely Mattern, South Carolina
Erin Sullivan, South Carolina
Darcel Mollon, South Carolina
Kim Miller, South Carolina
Samantha Faber, UC Davis
Danielle Contro, UC Davis
Becca Thomas, UCF
Courtney Whidden, UCF
Yvonne George, UCF
Kelsey Kravec, UCF
Kate Begley, UCF
Mack Neely, UNLV
Dani Morin, UNLV
Offensive MVP
Courtney Whidden, UCF
Defensive MVP
Blakely Mattern, South Carolina
Tournament MVP
Yvonne George, UCF