Sept. 27, 2009
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After suffering through two and a half hours of rain delays to start the match, the No. 20 UCF women's soccer team had several great chances but could not get on the scoreboard in a 1-0 loss to Memphis Sunday. It was the Knights' first home loss of the year (4-1-0), while they dropped to 6-3-1 overall and 1-1-0 in Conference USA.
The game against the Tigers (7-3-0, 2-0-0) was televised by CBS College Sports, and it will be aired Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
By giving up just one goal, the Knights have allowed only three goals in their last seven matches. Their last two losses have come by 1-0 margins.
UCF outshot Memphis for the match, 16-14, and had an 11-5 advantage in the second half as it controlled most of the action in the final stanza. However just three of those 16 attempts were on goal. Freshman Tishia Jewell came off the bench to lead all players with four shots. In net, sophomore Aline Reis totaled six saves, with the only goal against coming off a rebound late in the opening half.
Senior Courtney Whidden almost put the Knights up just 6:30 into the match, heading a corner kick off the crossbar, then watched her rebound be stopped by a Memphis defender.
After that flurry of activity where UCF had four unanswered corners in the first 19 minutes, Memphis responded and took over the rest of the half and finished with nine shots and six corner-kick chances before the break. One of those shots put the Tigers in front, as Vendula Strnadova put in a rebound in the 41st minute.
The Knights would once again have the best scoring chance when the second half got underway, however freshman Nicolette Radovcic's shot when she had keeper Elise Kuhar-Pitters one-on-one went just high three minutes into the frame. Jewell also had a great opportunity with 20 minutes left, but her shot from 16 yards out sailed just wide right.
Moments later, sophomore Katie Jackson found a loose ball only 10 yards in front of the net and Kuhar-Pitters got a piece of it and pushed it off the crossbar. Junior Amanda Martorana was there for the rebound a couple steps out yet her shot was lifted high over the net. Martorana had another shot go wide left with 13 minutes on the clock.
The Knights rang off seven-straight shots at one point in the second. Their final attempt of the game came off the foot of senior Yvonne George with 1:59 left but the Memphis keeper was there to smother it to secure the Tigers' win.
UCF will now hit the road for a pair of C-USA matches when it travels to Marshall Oct. 2 and East Carolina Oct. 4.
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 pictures.
Postgame Notes
Memphis (7-3-0, 2-0-0) - 1
No. 20 UCF (6-3-1, 1-1-0) - 0
Goals: Vendula Strnadova (3) 41st minute
-With six saves, Aline Reis boosted her two-year career total to 139, moving her into sixth place on UCF's all-time list.
-Reis' six stops vs. Memphis were her most saves since making nine in a win over Florida State.
-Along with Tishia Jewell's four shots, Courtney Whidden completed her afternoon with three, while Yvonne George, Amanda Martorana and Katie Jackson each had two.
-Sunday's loss was UCF's first 1-0 defeat at home since 2005 when it fell to Loyola.