Nov. 17, 2007
UCF NCAA College Cup Central | | UCF vs. Florida Game Notes
ORLANDO - With a 3-1 win over Auburn in the NCAA Tournament first round Friday, the UCF women's soccer team battles Florida in the second round Sunday at 1 p.m. in Gainesville. A win for the Knights would move them past round two for the first time since 1987.
Ticket Information
UCF fans wishing to attend the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Gainesville can purchase tickets at the gate. Adults are $7 and children 12 and under are $3.
Can't Make it to Gainesville?
UCF fans can head to www.UCFAthletics.com for all of the links they need to access live stats and live video (courtesy of UF) of the Knights' match vs. Florida Sunday. Those links can be found on the UCF NCAA Tournament section, located on the women's soccer homepage.
Recapping the First Round
It appeared the Knights were going to have their hands full in the first round vs. Auburn Nov. 16, as the Tigers built up a lot of offensive pressure early on. But a fortunate break went UCF's way, and Becca Thomas scored on a free kick in the 10th minute to put her team up 1-0. The Knights never looked back. Amanda Martorana scored the eventual game-winner in the 43rd minute and Thomas added her second of the evening in the 49th to enable UCF to advance. Auburn did score with 2:16 remaining, however Knights' keeper Jennifer Manis posted nine saves to help UCF post the 3-1 win.
Previewing Florida
Possibly the hottest team in the nation, Florida has won 13-straight matches, including a 3-0 win in the first round over Miami, and 11 of those victories were shutouts. The Gators are 17-4-2 this year and 10-1-1 at home. They went 3-2 vs. ranked teams, including a 2-1 win over Florida State. As a team, UF has a GAA of 0.47 with 15 shutouts. Stacy Bishop leads the offense with 10 goals and 10 assists for 30 points. In the series vs. UCF, Florida has a 9-1-0 advantage, with the lone Knights' win coming in the NCAA Tournament first round in Gainesville in 2004.
UCF in the NCAA Tournament...
Making its 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament, UCF leads all Division I schools in the state of Florida in total appearances, and is tied for 14th most out of this year's field of 64. During the season, the Knights faced five other programs that reached the Tournament (Penn State, Memphis, Florida State, Miami, Loyola (Md.)) and they posted a 2-2-2 record against those squads.
...And in the Second Round
UCF holds a 2-4 all-time mark in the NCAA Second Round, with its last appearance coming in a 2-1 loss to Boston College in Gainesville in 2004. The Knights did post wins in 1982 and 1987.
For more information on UCF's complete history in the NCAA Tournament, visit page three of the game notes.
Perfect Time for No. 1
For a freshman that is always in on the attack, there can be a lot of pressure to score her first collegiate goal. When you add the atmosphere of an NCAA Tournament match, the pressure can mount even higher. But Amanda Martorana took it all in stride Nov. 16 in the first round vs. Auburn. With UCF up 1-0 in the first half, Martorana received a pass from Danielle Dos Santos in the right-side of the box and placed her shot far post for some much-needed insurance. Martorana's first goal proved to be the game-winner as the Knights went on to a 3-1 victory.
Not a Bad Record at All
A 15-4-3 overall record certainly has UCF smiling. Besides C-USA, the Knights defeated opponents from the Big Ten, Mountain West, Big West, SEC and MAAC. They also tied two members of the ACC. In all, two of the three losses were by 1-0 scores, including a defeat at the hands of No. 7 Penn State. Meanwhile, the Knights played No. 11 Florida State to a 3-3 draw. Looking back, UCF had a very tough non-conference schedule and survived with a 5-2-2 mark before it went 7-1-1 in C-USA.
Dominant at Home
UCF went 7-0-3 in home matches this year, with the three ties coming against No. 11 Florida State, Miami (Fla.) and Colorado College. The Knights outscored the opposition at the UCF Soccer Complex, 24-10, in 2007. The last time UCF was undefeated at home was 1999 when the Knights were 9-0-0.
Always on the Pitch
Senior Kelsey Kravec is by far the team leader in minutes played (not including goalkeeper Jennifer Manis), totaling 2,043 minutes for the Knights. Senior Arielle Orr is second with 1,799.
Fan Support
The 956 fans that came out to watch UCF erase a 3-1 halftime deficit to tie No. 11 FSU Sept. 22 was the largest home crowd since 1982. That year, UCF hosted North Carolina in the NCAA Championship final match on Nov. 21 and the Tar Heels escaped with a 2-0 win in front of 1,134 fans.