Nov. 12, 2008
DALLAS, Texas (www.ucfathletics.com) - Freshman Kyle McEntee scored just a minute and a half into the game, and Sean Johnson and the defense made it stand as sixth-seeded UCF (7-10-1) dispatched third-seeded Memphis (6-11-2) 1-0 Wednesday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA men's soccer tournament at Westcott Field. It was UCF's first win in the conference tournament since joining C-USA.
"I am proud of everyone's effort today, from 1 through 20," said head coach Bryan Cunningham. "The guys off the bench gave us a tremendous lift. We were able to scrap and get a goal early, and held on for a win against a very good Memphis team. The back four led by our seniors, Bryan Collier (Fayetteville, Ga.) and Ryan Roushandel (Atlanta, Ga.), and Sean in goal provided great leadership to lead us into the semis."
UCF came into the contest having scored just two goals in its past six games, but the Knights wasted little time finding the net against the Tigers. Freshman Kevan George (Decatur, Ga.) fired a shot that was blocked away by Memphis keeper Michael Goodlett, but McEntee was there to punch in the rebound from in close.
"We talked about it from the time we woke up this morning that we wanted to start fast," said Cunningham. "It was great to get the early goal to take pressure off our young team."
Cunningham started six freshmen, and all told 10 UCF freshmen played their first Conference USA Tournament game.
Memphis had its chances to tie the contest, especially down the stretch. In the 84th minute, the Tigers were awarded with a penalty kick when UCF was whistled for a foul in the box. However, Michael Coburn's attempt sailed high and wide.
Johnson then took it upon himself to ensure the shutout would stand. In the 85th minute, Jordan Lynn fired a shot that was headed toward the upper 90, but Johnson made a diving snare for his 100th save of the season. Just 29 seconds later, Tripp Harkins sent a blast towards goal, but again the sophomore keeper was up to the challenge.
In earning his fifth shutout of the season, Johnson made five saves in goal for UCF. The Lilburn, Ga., native tops the conference in saves and saves per game.
George led the Knights with four shots and notched the assist on the UCF goal, which was McEntee's third marker on the season.
UCF snapped a six-game winless skid with the victory. The Knights' last win came on Oct. 11 when they defeated UAB 1-0.
With the victory, UCF advances to the C-USA Tournament semifinals on Friday. The Knights will meet second-seeded Kentucky at 6 p.m. eastern time. The two teams played in Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 22, with the Wildcats scoring two second-half goals for a 2-1 win.
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.
Soccer Game Summary (Final)
UCF vs Memphis (Nov 12, 2008 at Dallas, Texas)
UCF (7-10-1, 3-4-1 C-USA) vs. Memphis (6-11-2, 3-4-1 C-USA)
Date: Nov 12, 2008 Attendance: 151
Weather: Sunny and clear
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
UCF..................... 1 0 - 1
Memphis................. 0 0 - 0
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 1:28 UCF McEntee, Kyle (George, Kevan) - Knocked in rebound in front of net
Shots: UCF 10, Memphis 17
Saves: UCF 5 (Johnson, Sean 5), Memphis 4 (GOODLETT, Michael 4)
Quarterfinals of the 2008 Conference USA Tournament