Dec. 23, 2011
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - As the final days of 2011 fade away and 2012 approaches, we here at UCFAthletics.com want to look back at the best moments of the past year and honor arguably the most significant 12 months in school history.
Here is a breakdown of the No. 9 moment of 2011 for UCF Athletics:
MOMENT: Men's soccer climbs to No. 6 in national rankings
DATE: Oct. 4
SITE: UCF Soccer Complex
SIGNIFICANCE: The ranking was the highest in the history of the men's program. The Knights remained in the Top 25 all season and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament a second consecutive season.
WHAT HAPPENED: UCF put itself in position for its highest ranking ever by starting the season 8-1-1. Included in that torrid start were defeats of No. 20 Kentucky and No. 21 SMU, wins that announced the Knights' legitimacy as a national powerhouse. Those two wins allowed UCF to jump to No. 6 from No. 10 in the Soccer America Top 25 poll. The Knights went on to win 12 games and reached the NCAA Tournament a second consecutive year. They beat Florida Gulf Coast at home in the opening round, before falling 2-1 to rival USF in the 95th minute.
THEY SAID IT: ``We didn't just take a victory lap from last season; we were able to come back this year and do really well again,'' said UCF head coach Bryan Cunningham. ``The players now know what to expect again next year. When we recruit kids now they know they are coming here to compete for championships, both on a conference level and a national level.''