Oct. 9, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Playing the second game of a three-game homestand, the UCF men's soccer team will host UAB Saturday night in a Conference USA game at 7 p.m. The Knights will enter the game at 5-5-0 overall and 2-1-0 in C-USA action while the Blazers are currently 4-5-2 overall, including a 1-1-0 mark in league play.
UCF will be looking to bounce back from a tough loss to visiting FIU Wednesday night. The Knights held a 1-0 lead for nearly 70 minutes of the game before the Golden Panthers scored twice in the final 12 minutes for a 2-1 win. It was UCF's first loss at home this season and first setback in conference play.
"I think our players are resilient, and the good thing about the schedule is that we get to go right back out there and host UAB on Saturday," said head coach Bryan Cunningham. "We will learn from our mistakes and hope to bounce back versus another strong conference opponent."
Despite the loss the Knights find themselves near the top of the standings in C-USA. At 2-1-0, UCF is in second place, just one game and three points back of league-leading and 20th-ranked Tulsa, who has a 3-0-0 record.
Getting just an own goal in the first half, UCF will look to find the net again Saturday. Freshman Kevan George (Decatur, Ga.) continues to lead the squad with four goals while sophomore Yaron Bacher (Atlanta, Ga.) has fired a team-high 29 shots.
UAB will come to Orlando fresh off a 4-1 victory over Alabama A&M Wednesday night in non-conference action. With three goals apiece from Two-Boys Gumede and Derek Rios, the Blazers have outscored their opponents 15-13 this season.
UAB leads the all-time series with the Knights 2-0-1, including a 2-1 victory last season on Oct. 27, 2007, in Birmingham, Ala.
As always, all home games at the UCF Soccer Complex are free of charge to all fans. On Saturday, the men's soccer team will be signing autographs for fans after the game, and the first 100 people through the gates will receive UCF rally towels.
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.