Sept. 18, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With an eight-match non-conference schedule this year, the No. 18 UCF women's soccer team filled it with plenty of ranked programs. And its final ranked opponent will invade Orlando Friday when No. 21 Kansas comes to town for a 7 p.m. showdown at the UCF Soccer Complex.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the soccer match to avoid traffic delays due to a 7 p.m. event at the new UCF Arena.
The Knights are already 2-1-0 vs. top-25 foes, defeating No. 17 Illinois and No. 19 Florida while falling to No. 4 Florida State. With a 5-1-1 overall record, the Black and Gold is ranked in the top 20 in two of the four major polls, as its No. 18 ranking in the Soccer America poll is UCF's highest since 1992 when it was No. 16 in the country.
Last year when UCF advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round, the Knights finished with a 0-1-2 record vs. top-25 teams. Meanwhile, they were 1-2-0 during the 2006 campaign. This season, UCF may still face off with another ranked opponent as Colorado College, an affiliate member of Conference USA, broke into the top 25 this week as well at No. 23. The Knights and Tigers are set to meet in Colorado Springs Oct. 12.
With C-USA's reigning players of the week in senior midfielder Hanna Wilde (Westlake, Ohio) and freshman goalkeeper Aline Reis (Campinas, Brazil), UCF is hoping to extend its unbeaten streak to seven matches (5-0-1). At home, the Black and Gold is 12-0-4 in its last 16 outings dating back to 2006.
Reis currently claims a 1.11 goals-against average, but has a 0.48 GAA in her last six decisions with a .919 save percentage and four shutouts. Seven different Knights have tallied goals this year, led by junior Becca Thomas (Burlington, Wash.) who has three. Classmate Yvonne George (Winter Springs, Fla.) is second in points with a goal and three assists, and freshman Katie Jackson (Satellite Beach, Fla.) is next in line with a goal and two helpers.
Kansas got off to a blistering start, going 5-0-0 while allowing just four goals in the process. Two of those wins came against C-USA programs in UAB and SMU. However, the Jayhawks dropped a 2-1 decision last Sunday to Loyola-Chicago to have their record fall to 5-1-0.
KU has spread out its goals this year, scoring eight in the first half and eight more in the second half. It has outshot opponents by an 83-53 margin but the corner kick differential is a little closer at 22-20. The UCF backs will have their work cut out for them as three Jayhawks have posted at least three goals apiece, led by Monica Dolinsky and Emily Cressy who have four each. Junior keeper Julie Hanley has started every match for Kansas, posting a 1.03 GAA, two shutouts and a .700 save percentage.
Kansas is one of only three schools in the country that UCF has played at least three times and had not claimed a victory (North Carolina and UW-Milwaukee serve as the other two). In the most recent meeting in 2006, then-No. 18 KU earned a 2-0 triumph in Lawrence. The Knights also fell on Kansas' home field in 2003 and in Orlando in 2001.
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.