Jan. 30, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Matchups against the Chicago Fire and defending MLS champion Columbus Crew highlight the 2009 UCF men's soccer spring schedule, announced by head coach Bryan Cunningham Friday. UCF hosts a round-robin tournament and contest against Florida Southern during its seven-game schedule.
The spring season gets underway on Sunday, Feb. 1 against the Chicago Fire at 10:30 a.m. in Bradenton, Fla. Chicago finished the 2008 MLS season in second place, recording 46 points and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Columbus Crew.
On Feb. 18, UCF battles the MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew in Bradenton at 3 p.m. The Crew defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. to claim their first MLS title.
UCF then hosts a round-robin with UNF, Stetson and St. Leo at the UCF Soccer Complex on Feb. 21. The tournament will feature 35-minute matchups against the three in-state schools. The Ospreys finished 2008 with a 9-10 record and finished sixth in the Atlantic Sun, while Stetson ended the season in fourth with an 8-7-2 overall record. St. Leo from the Sunshine State Conference ended the season at 10-7-1.
Up next is the only road game for the Knights when they travel to Winter Park and battle cross-town foe Rollins on March 27, at 7 p.m. The Tars finished the 2008 campaign with a 7-10 overall record, including a 3-5 mark in Sunshine State Conference games.
On April 3, the Knights host the `Friends of Soccer' spring event at the UCF Soccer Complex against Florida Southern at 7:30 p.m. A member of the Sunshine State Conference, the Mocs are located in Lakeland, Fla., and ended their season with a 3-12 record.
Knight fans' are encouraged to attend the home matches this spring. Last fall, the home attendance increased 118 percent as UCF attracted an average of 478 fans.
Last year, the Knights finished the Conference USA schedule in a tie for third and advanced to the semifinals of the C-USA Conference Championship. The quarterfinal victory over Memphis was the first win in the conference tournament since UCF joined C-USA.
Freshman Kevan George was the lone rookie to earn a spot on the All-Conference USA first team recording 4 goals and 10 points. He also was honored on the C-USA All-Freshman team. Senior Ryan Roushandel was named to both the C-USA All-Conference second team and the C-USA All-Academic team for the second consecutive season.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to 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 UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports
Date Opponent Location TimeFeb. 1 Chicago Fire Bradenton, Fla. 10:30 a.m.Feb. 18 Columbus Crew Bradenton, Fla. 3 p.m.Feb. 21 UNF, Stetson and St. Leo (round-robin) Orlando, Fla. TBAMarch 27 Rollins Winter Park, Fla. 7 p.m.April 3 Florida Southern Orlando, Fla. 7:30 p.m.