Oct. 29, 2009
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On an eight-game winning streak, the No. 8 UCF women's soccer team will wrap up the regular season Friday when it hosts Southern Miss at 7 p.m. Admission is free and the first 100 fans will receive a complimentary 2009 UCF soccer shirt.
The Black and Gold has already clinched a share of the Conference USA regular-season crown and will be going for its first outright regular-season title since 2001 when it won the Atlantic Sun (It won the A-Sun Tournament in 2003). It currently owns a 14-3-1 overall record and a 9-1-0 mark in the league. With a win Friday, UCF will have tied the school record for most conferences victories in a season, while it also is hoping to notch its first nine-game winning streak since 2001.
The Knights will honor seven seniors Friday before the match, and they have all had a major impact in the success of the program. Yvonne George (Winter Springs, Fla.) has scored 16 goals and posted 47 points in her four years, and forming the dynamic duo up front with her has been Courtney Whidden (Palm Harbor, Fla.), who ranks tied for seventh all-time with 30 goals.
Controlling the midfield, Becca Thomas (Burlington, Wash.) was an All-C-USA First Team member a year ago and has been a two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Week in 2009. Emily Maynard (Chicago, Ill.) joined the Knights in 2008 as a defensive midfielder and has played every game since, collecting five points in the process (Brianna Schooley will likely earn a redshirt this year).
Nikki Moore (Virginia Beach, Va.) will go down as one of the best backs in UCF history, as she has been an all-conference and all-region pick every year. Amaka Ofuani (Tallahassee, Fla.) may have been injured for the majority of the 2009 season, but started every game during UCF's 2008 NCAA Tournament run. And in net, Lynzee Lee also suited up in Black and Gold beginning in 2008, and in 2009 she has made four starts, posting a 4-0-1 record with two shutouts.
They will be taking on a Southern Miss squad which claims a 4-12-0 record and has a 0-10-0 mark in C-USA. The Golden Eagles have given up 31 goals on the year and has scored three themselves in league action. The Knights are 4-0-0 all-time vs. USM.
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, and become a follow of the Knights at Twitter.com.