Nov. 16, 2008
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Making its 13th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1982, the UCF women's soccer team suffered a 2-0 loss to No. 8 Florida in the Second Round in Gainesville Sunday afternoon. The Knights finished with a 14-6-3 record, marking the 22nd time in 28 years of competition they collected at least 10 wins in a season.
Although the year wrapped up Sunday, UCF's 13th time in the NCAA Tournament currently leads all Florida schools, while it is tied for 16th in the country with all-time Tournament bids.
Florida improved to 19-3-1 with the win, and advanced to the Third Round to face either Texas A&M or Washington. The Gators, which went ahead 1-0 on a goal late in the first half, held a 20-7 lead in shots, however the Black and Gold did have plenty of quality scoring chances in the match.
"The goal with three seconds left in the first half was very disappointing because I thought we played a pretty good half and both teams had some chances," said head coach Amanda Cromwell. "I thought we had momentum for parts of the first half, it was a bit up and down, but we just couldn't get the equalizer."
UCF's first starting freshman keeper since 1995, Aline Reis (Campinas, Brazil) racked up five saves Sunday, putting her season total at 107 That ranks in a tie for fifth in Knight single-season history.
Both programs did not need the opening minutes to get a feel for one another, as they played during the regular season with UCF coming away with a 1-0 win Aug. 29. With UF having not scored a goal against the Knights in the last two meetings, it appeared it would end that streak on a header goal in the 18th minute. However the offside flag was in the air and the scoreboard remained at 0-0.
UCF put the No. 8 team in the country to work throughout the half, with senior Danielle Dos Santos (Campinas, Brazil) and sophomore Amanda Martorana (Middleburg, Fla.) constantly putting pressure on the Gator backs. And junior Becca Thomas (Burlington, Wash.) delivered a pair of crosses with less than 20 minutes remaining that went through the defense but did not find a UCF attacker.
The Knights' best chance came with 10:15 left in the half when freshman Stacie Hubbard (Jacksonville, Fla.) sent a ball over the defense to Martorana on the right side. She raced in to get a good angle on goalie Katie Fraine only to see it go too far towards the endline, where Martorana tried a cross that Fraine covered. After that opportunity, Florida returned the favor and controlled the action leading up to halftime. With the seconds ticking down, a miscue at the top of the box provided UF with an open look at the net, and Lindsay Thompson turned and fired a laser into the goal for a 1-0 lead just before the break.
Florida opened the second trying to double its advantage, ripping off five shots compared to UCF's one in the first 10 minutes of play. Understanding the importance of tying it up, UCF switched up its lineup, moving defender Nikki Moore (Virginia Beach, Va.) up front to help the offense. The move almost paid off with 30 minutes showing on the clock, as junior Brianna Schooley (Coral Springs, Fla.) found Moore driving into the box, put a pass onto her feet and Moore witnessed her shot from a couple yards out on the right side sail just wide.
With the score still at 1-0 and play going back and forth, it was not until the 78th minute that the first shot went on goal in the half. The attempt by Megan Kerns was originally stopped by Reis, but the rebound was put home by Kerns to seal the UF victory.
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Postgame Notes
UCF (14-6-3) - 0
Florida (19-3-1) - 2
Goals: UF Lindsay Thompson (7) 45th, UF Megan Kerns (13) 78th
-Sunday's get together was the fifth time UCF played Florida in the NCAA Tournament, more than any other opponent. The Knights' postseason rivalry with UF moved ahead of UCF-North Carolina, as they played four times in the Tournament from 1982-99.
- Florida's goal at the 44:57 mark ended a drought of 254:15 in which the Gators did not score against the Knights dating back to 2005.
- Danielle Dos Santos completed the 2008 campaign as UCF's leading scorer. The senior had eight goals, and also had five assists for 21 points.
- Yvonne George led the way for the Knights this year with a career-high seven assists.