Aug. 29, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF's men's soccer team began the 2008 season Friday night, falling 2-0 to Penn State in the opening game of the Ohio State Bert and Iris Wolstein Classic in Columbus, Ohio. The Nittany Lions scored in the 69th minute to break a scoreless tie before adding a late insurance goal. The Knights square off against the host Buckeyes, ranked ninth nationally, Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
"It was not the start that we wanted, but we started eight underclassmen." said head coach Bryan Cunningham. "They were a little bit tentative. They chased the game a little bit and it resulted in two goals against us. After we gave up the first goal we started pushing forward a little bit and consequently gave up a second goal."
Six freshmen made their first collegiate start for the Knights. Cunningham's starting lineup also included two sophomores and three seniors. Overall, 12 freshmen made their college debuts for UCF in the contest.
In the opening half, Penn State outshot the Knights 10-4, but the UCF defense held tough and kept the game scoreless through the opening 45 minutes. Sophomore keeper Sean Johnson had six saves in the first half alone.
In the second half, the Knights struggled to create offense, but the defense held tough through the first 20-plus minutes. Penn State finally broke through in the 69th minute when Bobby Bohlen headed a corner kick from Frank Costigliola into the back of the net.
Ten minutes later, the Nittany Lions struck again when Ryan Badaracco scored on a shot from the top of the box for a 2-0 lead.
For the game, Penn State held a 26-7 advantage in shot attempts, including a 10-2 edge in shots on goal. Senior Chris Andaur and freshman Kevan George both had shots on goal for UCF. Johnson finished the evening with seven saves while Liam Fitzwater recorded two saves in notching the shutout for Penn State.
The Knights fall to 16-13-5 all-time in season openers. The game was UCF's first meeting with Penn State in men's soccer.
Live stats and live audio will be available for Sunday's game against Ohio State. Links for both can be found on the men's soccer schedule page at UCFAthletics.com
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.