Oct. 9, 2007
Men's Soccer Notes at FIU in PDF Format
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ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF men's soccer team continues its Conference USA campaign on Wednesday, Oct. 10 as the Knights (4-6-1, 0-1-1 C-USA) visit in-state rival Florida International (0-8-2, 0-2-0 C-USA) for a 7 p.m. match-up at University Park. Both clubs will be looking for their first league victory of the season.
The Knights are coming off a 3-1 loss at No. 11 SMU on Oct. 6. Freshman Sean Jonson (Lilburn, Ga./Brookwood HS) made eight saves in the match and is currently ranked first among league goalkeepers with 52 total saves. Also listed among the C-USA elite is junior midfielder Ryan Roushandel (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School) as he leads all players with 40 shots and is tied for fourth in goals with five.
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Munga Eketebi, Florida International heads into Wednesday's match searching for its first victory of the season. The Golden Panthers have lost their previous three games, including a 3-1 decision to No.25 South Carolina on Oct. 7. UCF head coach Bryan Cunningham has warned his players not to overlook their opponent.
"Every game against a conference opponent is a battle and tomorrow night we have to play a good FIU team on the road," said Cunningham. "When UCF and FIU meet, it's always a hard fought game. The stakes are even higher this year because we are both looking for our first conference win."
Sophomore midfielder Juan Guerra leads the Golden Panthers' offense with two goals and an assist to his credit, while junior Kyle Thomas has made 34 saves and posted a 1.22 goals-against-average in seven games played.
Although Florida International holds a 23-8-3 advantage in the series history between the two teams, UCF has won two of the last three matches, including a 1-0 victory in Orlando, Fla. on Oct. 25, 2006. The Knights' Cam Jordan (Fort Wayne, Ind./Canterbury HS) scored the game-winning goal in the 30th minute with an assist to goalkeeper Brian Pope (Durham, N.H./Oyster Rive HS), who made four saves in the shutout.
Another historical note, UCF played FIU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament from 2002-04. The Knights' advanced to the second round with a 1-0 victory. Defense has played a large part in the last four matches, which have all been shutouts.
Following Wednesday's match at FIU, the Knights have a one-week hiatus from competition before playing host to league foes Kentucky on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. and Tulsa on Oct. 21 at 2:30 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 pics.