Nov. 7, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF men's soccer team got a game-tying goal from senior Ryan Roushandel (Atlanta, Ga.) in the second half and played even the rest of the way as the Knights (6-10-1, 3-4-1 C-USA) concluded their regular season with a 1-1 double overtime tie at South Carolina (7-5-5, 2-2-4 C-USA) Friday night in Conference USA action.
The result combined with the other results from around the league Friday night puts four teams - UCF, USC, Memphis and SMU - in a tie for third with 10 points heading into next week's C-USA Tournament. While the Knights await word on where they will be seeded, the team has clinched a berth in the field after missing the tournament a year ago. The 10 points also give UCF its highest total since joining the conference.
"It was a very well played game on both ends," said head coach Bryan Cunningham. `Give our boys a tremendous amount of credit persevering after giving up the goal late in the first half. "Coming back against a well organized and disciplined USC team shows a lot about our players. Earning result on the road in this conference is tough, and it was nice to be rewarded for playing good soccer the entire match."
Despite coming out of the halftime break trailing by a goal and having not scored a goal in 285 minutes, the visiting Knights went on the attack early in the second half. Just seven minutes in, Roushandel fired a shot from 40 yards out that sailed over the head of USC keeper Jimmy Maurer for the equalizer. It was Roushandel's third marker of the season and 13th of his career.
"We wanted to get Ryan more involved and pushing forward in the second half," Cunningham said of Roushandel's goal. "He collected a ball from about 40 yards out and did what he does, kicking a get great ball over the keeper."
The two teams played a competitive half for the rest of regulation, with the Gamecocks holding a slight 6-5 edge in shots in the second period. UCF freshman Kyle Ellis (Bear, Del.) had a chance for the winner in the 86th minute, but his shot was stopped by Maurer.
In the two overtime sessions, USC outshot the visitors 7-3, but neither team could get a shot in the net in a matchup of two of the league's leading keepers, UCF's Sean Johnson (Lilburn, Ga.) and USC's Maurer.
In terms of shots, USC completely dominated the opening half, holding a 16-2 edge in shots. However, with under a minute left in the period, the game remained scoreless. Unfortunately for the Knights, Bryan Lowder changed that with 43 seconds left before the horn, scoring his first goal of the season from outside the 18-yard box for a 1-0 lead.
For the game, USC had a nearly 3-to-1 edge in shots (29-10), but Johnson continued his terrific play in goal to keep the Knights close. The league's leader in saves finished the contest with six to bring his season total to 96. Maurer stopped four shots in goal for the Gamecocks.
Held in Dallas, Texas and hosted by SMU, the C-USA Conference Tournament will get underway on Wednesday afternoon with the quarterfinals and run through Sunday.
"No matter where we are seeded, it is exciting to be back in the conference tourney after missing it in 2007," said Cunningham. "Our young team has done a tremendous job fighting in a tough league this year, and we will be ready to go next Wednesday."
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 USC (Nov 07, 2008 at Columbia, S.C.)
UCF (6-10-1, 3-4-1 C-USA) vs. USC (7-5-5, 2-2-4 C-USA)
Date: Nov 07, 2008 Attendance: 628
Goals by period 1 2 OT O2 Tot
UCF....................... 0 1 0 0 - 1
USC....................... 1 0 0 0 - 1
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 44:17 USC LOWDER, Bryan (1) (BURSTEIN, Mario;REARDON, Schuyler) - outside the 18 - turn around shot over keeper
2. 52:44 UCF Roushandel, Ryan (3) (unassisted) - from 40 yards out, over keeper's head
Shots: UCF 10, USC 29
Saves: UCF 10 (Johnson, Sean 6; TEAM 4), USC 4 (MAURER, Jimmy 4)