Sept. 12, 2010
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
WILMINGTON, N.C. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF men's soccer team did not let its first loss of the season Friday night get the best of them. The Knights, motivated by a 1-0 loss to UNC-Wilmington in their first game of the Courtyard by Marriot/UNCW Classic, bounced back with a 2-0 win over Long Island on Sunday afternoon. Spencer Scott's eventual game winner came in the 15th minute and goalkeeper Shawn Doyle stopped all five shots he faced in recording his third shutout of the season.
"I was very pleased with the entire team attitude following the loss to UNCW," head coach Bryan Cunningham said. "Every player was committed to a strong performance today. After the loss, the whole team said they were not going to lose two games in a row and, to their credit, they came out and played with that desire."
Averaging four and a half goals a game coming into the weekend, while not allowing an opponent to score in its first two games, UCF was blanked by UNCW for their first loss of 2010. The Knights came out looking to get back on the winning track early in game with the Blackbirds.
Scott scored his second goal of the season with 14:39 showing on the clock to give UCF the early 1-0 lead. Beating a defender on the right side of the field, the junior midfielder slid a shot under the LIU goalkeeper and inside the far post for the game's first tally.
The teams exchanged opportunities for the next 58 minutes of play before A.J. Nelson scored his second marker of the season on a header past LIU's John Connolly in goal.
Nicholas Keown-Robson, last week's Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, set up Nelson with a crossing pass that the second-year forward was able to head into the back of the net for the insurance goal the Knights needed.
Doyle has now shutout three opponents in the first four matches of the season. The one game that he did not register a clean sheet, the UCF goalkeeper allowed just one shot by him, the only time it has happened in 360 minutes of play this season.
"It was good to get a win against a very good opponent like LIU," Cunningham said. "We were able to create a lot of quality scoring chances and we finished two of them. It is always good to get a win, but to do so in a shutout is what this team is really trying to do every game."
Long Island's Juan Lanza had a game-high four shots in the contest, but the Doyle stopped each. Connolly turned aside three UCF shots in the game, but picks up the loss after allowing two by him.
Warren Creaville and Nicholas Keown-Robson were named the the All-Tournament Team for their performances over the weekend.
The Knights are now 3-1 and will look to continue to build on the early-season momentum when they travel to UMass and Army next weekend. UCF will take on the Minutemen in Springfield, Mass., on Friday Sept. 17 at 3:30 p.m. before heading to West Point, N.Y., to take on the Cadets Sunday at 1 p.m.