Oct. 13, 2009
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF's women's soccer team continues to climb the national rankings this week, reaching as high as No. 12 in the country in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. The Knights are also No. 14 according to Soccer America, while Soccer Times puts the Black and Gold at No. 20.
A new RPI report by the NCAA that includes UCF's victories over UTEP and Colorado College has not been released, however an unofficial RPI listing moved the Knights from No. 5 to No. 4.
UCF stands at 10-3-1 on the year and is in sole possession of first place in the Conference USA standings with a 5-1-0 record. Through 14 matches, the Knights have played the second toughest schedule of any program. UCF has already taken on the top six teams in C-USA, as its five remaining games are against those schools at the bottom half of the standings.
While the remaining schedule may favor the Knights, four of those matches are on the road. Their next clash will be at Rice Friday, and the Owls are coming off a 2-1 upset of second-place Memphis, which handed UCF its lone loss in league play.
Individually, senior Becca Thomas was handed a spot on the Soccer America Team of the Week Tuesday. The reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week scored both game-winning goals last weekend and also added an assist for five points.
Earlier in the year, sophomore keeper Aline Reis was selected to Soccer America's weekly squad, as the 2009 campaign marks the first time in school history that the Knights have had two players named to the national Team of the Week during a season.
With 10 wins this year, head coach Amanda Cromwell has helped the Knights post at least 10 victories for the ninth-straight season. The 3-2 triumph over UTEP Oct. 9, meanwhile, was Cromwell's 150th in 11 years at UCF. In 13 seasons overall as a head coach, she owns a 171-81-16 record.
Cromwell and the Knights are hoping to make their third-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, having reached the Second Round in 2007 and 2008. Since the program's inception in 1981, UCF has made 13 trips to the postseason, the most of any school in the state of Florida.
Although a bid to the dance is a major goal for the Knights this year, they also are trying to claim their third C-USA regular-season title in the last five years.
Along with meeting Rice Friday, UCF also clashes with Houston in Texas Sunday at 2 p.m. The following weekend, the Black and Gold heads to SMU Oct. 23 and Tulsa Oct. 25 to complete the road slate. The Knights will then wrap up the regular season with Senior Night vs. Southern Miss Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
The top six teams in the league will move on to the C-USA Championships hosted by SMU Nov. 4-8.
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.