Oct. 21, 2007
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ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - A late second-half goal by junior Eric DeFreitas lifted No. 20 Tulsa over UCF, 2-1, in Conference USA men's soccer action on Sunday afternoon at the UCF Soccer Complex.
Sophomore Hunter Christiansen gave the Golden Hurricane (8-2-2, 3-0-2 C-USA) a 1-0 advantage in the 26th minute. Although UCF freshman goalkeeper Sean Johnson (Lilburn, Ga./Brookwood HS) made the save on Christian's initial shot, the ball still found the back corner of the net.
UCF (4-9-1, 0-4-1 C-USA) had a chance to even the match with just minutes remaining before the intermission when junior Mike Mattson (Boca Raton, Fla./Pope John Paul II HS) challenged TU goalkeeper Dominic Cervi for the ball on a serve into the box. The ball dropped to ground, but the Knights were unable to finish the shot.
Returning to the field after the intermission, the Knights took control and knotted the score at 1-1 in the 55th minute. Freshman Nathaniel Jocelyn (Wellington, Fla./American Heritage HS) played a thru ball to junior Ryan Roushandel (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School) who netted his team-leading eighth goal of the season.
The two teams battled until, with 10 and a half minutes remaining, the contest was delayed for 20 minutes due to lightning in the area. When the play resumed, Tulsa took over momentum and in the 88th minute, DeFreitas scored the game-winner on a cross from senior Todd Goddard.
"We weren't able to keep up our composure, which cost us the goal in the end," said UCF head coach Bryan Cunningham. "We always talk about accountability and keeping our shape. If there is a breakdown for a split second, it can cause a goal, which is what happened today."
The Golden Hurricane held a 12-10 advantage in shots. Cervi made three saves to earn the win, while Johnson had five.
"We told the guys in the locker room after the game that it's time to look ahead toward our next opponent," said Cunningham. "We're going to come to practice on Monday and do just that. We have three conference games left on the schedule and we are looking to come away from those with results, starting with UAB next weekend."
Next up, the Knights visit C-USA rival UAB in Birmingham, Ala. on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. ET before traveling to Jacksonville for a non-conference contest against North Florida on Oct. 30. They finish the season at home against conference rivals South Carolina and Marshall.
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.