Sept. 20, 2012
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Two of the premier men's soccer programs in the Sunshine State will meet Saturday when UCF heads to Fort Myers to face Florida Gulf Coast. The contest at the FGCU Soccer Complex will begin at 7 p.m.
UCF (2-2-1) and the Eagles (3-3) are both listed in TopDrawerSoccer.com's Tournament 48 Rankings. UCF is 33rd, while Florida Gulf Coast is close behind at 38th.
A year ago, the teams met twice. The Eagles posted a 2-1 win in September of 2011 over the then-No. 8 Knights in Orlando. The squads met again in the first round of the NCAA Championship and the host Knights won 1-0 in double overtime.
Florida Gulf Coast is 3-3 this season, but has faced a challenging schedule. The Eagles began the campaign with a contest at No. 2 Akron, and then played at No. 16 Georgetown. The team owns a 3-0 neutral-site win over South Carolina, and has also defeated Iona and Bucknell.
UCF will be playing its fourth road match in six overall contests this year. The Knights were last in action on Sept. 14 and they picked up a 2-2 double-overtime draw against visiting Jacksonville. Steven Lamberta and Deshorn Brown both scored for the Knights. Brown, who has four goals and an assist, leads the team with nine points.
After meeting the Eagles, UCF will return to Orlando where it will host No. 5 Charlotte on Wednesday. The 49ers nearly won the national title a year ago, falling to North Carolina in the College Cup finals.