Sept. 23, 2010
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By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Posting a 5-2-1 record in non-conference play, No. 23 UCF starts its Conference USA schedule this weekend when it hosts East Carolina Friday at 7 p.m. as well as Marshall Sunday at 1 p.m. On Friday, the first 50 fans will receive a UKNIGHT T-shirt, while the first 25 fans for Sunday's match will get a free pair of UCF sunglasses.
The match with the Thundering Herd will be televised live by Bright House Sports Network with the "Voice of the Knights" Marc Daniels and Scott Adams on the call.
Previewing ECU
-East Carolina owns a 5-3-0 record thanks to victories over Francis Marion, Old Dominion, Niagara, NC State and William & Mary.
-Amanda Malkiewicz paces the Pirates with nine points and is tied for the team lead with Chrissy Gratz with three goals.
-In net, Christiane Cordero has played every minute for ECU, posting a 1.27 goals-against average and 37 saves.
Previewing Marshall
-Marshall brings in a 2-3-2 record and will play at Southern Miss Friday before traveling to Orlando. The Thundering Herd have topped Radford and Appalachian State while earning draws vs. Winthrop and Liberty.
-Eight different players have scored goals this year, and Angela DeSumma has recorded a team-best six points.
-Keeper Lindsey Kerns has made five starts, notching a 2-2-2 record, two shutouts, a 0.84 GAA and 26 saves.
The Series
-UCF holds a 5-0-2 record against East Carolina, including a 2-0 win in Greenville last season.
-Against Marshall, the Knights are a perfect 5-0-0, outscoring the Thundering Herd 19-1, as UCF has scored at least three goals in all five meetings.
2010 Awards
-Junior GK Aline Reis was named the C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and joined sophomore back Bianca Joswiak as members of the C-USA Preseason Team.
-For their performances at the Arizona Tournament, Reis was selected as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 20 while forward Tishia Jewell was the Offensive Player of the Week. Reis has now earned six C-USA weekly honors in her career.
-Jewell also was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week and the CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performers of the Week squad after scoring twice and adding an assist in the 5-0 win over No. 19 Arizona State.
Setting Attendance Records
-Year after the year the crowds continue to grow at the UCF Soccer Complex. On opening night vs. Florida, a total of 2,141 fans shattered the single-game attendance record of 1,142 set last year vs. Florida State.
-Overall, 3,244 fans have taken in only three home matches so far. The single-season attendance record was set a year ago at 4,601.
Climbing the Record Books
-Junior goalkeeper Aline Reis continues her climb up the UCF career record books. She currently ranks third all-time with 213 saves, while her 15 shutouts rank in a tie for eighth.
The Non-Conference Schedule
-For the second-straight season, UCF's non-conference schedule was ranked as one of the 15 toughest in the nation prior to the regular season.
-This year, the Knights' non-conference strength of schedule was ranked No. 14. Of the eight matches they played, five were against teams that went to the 2009 NCAA Tournament (UCF went 3-2-0 in those matches), while three were nationally ranked (1-2-0).
-Last year, UCF's non-conference schedule was rated as the second-toughest in Division I.
Satellite Beach Taking Over Orlando
-The top two offensive players so far this year both hail from Satellite Beach in junior midfielder Katie Jackson and sophomore forward Tishia Jewell.
-Jackson is coming off her best season in 2009 where she scored five goals and 12 points, but this year she has three goals and nine points in eight matches.
-Meanwhile, after not hitting the back of the net as a freshman, Jewell has scored four times and leads the Knights with 12 points.
Very Young on the Backline
-At times this year, UCF has gone with three freshmen and a sophomore on the backline and they have certainly stepped up.
-Sophomore Bianca Joswiak has been one of the best athletes on the team in 2010 as the defender has five points. Joswiak along with freshmen Ashley Nicol, Sokhara Goodall and Marissa Diggs have enabled UCF to post four shutouts already this year.
-Senior Christina Petrucco, who was injured in the first game of the year, may soon return to the starting lineup. She has 52-career starts since 2007.