Sept. 19, 2015 Final Stats
UCF-GCU - (9/18/15) - Images by UCF Knights
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - With the UCF men's soccer team donning fauxback Citronaut uniforms, the Knights scored twice and finished the match on Friday with a 2-1 win over Grand Canyon.
"I told the guys beforehand let's go out and be the victor, not the victim like we have been the past three games," head coach Bryan Cunningham said. "We settled in after the first 2-3 minutes and started to hit our mark a bit. It was great to get the goal in the first half and add to the lead early in the second half."
Freshman Jakov Basic and sophomore Matias Pyysalo recorded the goals for the Citronauts at the UCF Soccer Complex.
Related: PDF Stats | HTML Stats | SoundCloud -- Cunningham, Basic, Hicks
SCORING FIRST
- Basic put the Citronauts up 1-0 in the 35th minute with his first-career goal.
- The Zagreb, Croatia, native took a free kick from 30 yards out, which went off the goalkeeper's hand and into the net.
- Basic called told midfielder Pyysalo, who takes a majority of the Citronauts' free kicks, that he had a good feeling about the distance.
"The first goal was an exciting moment for me," Basic sad. "I am a freshman and it was nice to be rewarded for all the hard work that I have put into the season. "
BUILDING THE LEAD
- With the ball on the right wing during the 50th minute, senior forward Hadji Barry sent a low cross across the goal.
- A Grand Canyon defender blocked the cross and the ball stopped just inside the 18-yard box, where Pyysalo blew a one-touch shot past the goalkeeper.
- Pyysalo paces the squad with three goals and three assists on the season.
- The Citronauts registered a 10-9 advantage in shots and 7-1 lead in corner kick opportunities.
"On the second goal, my eyes lit up really big, because I thought I was going to be able to hit it," Hicks said. "My friend Matias [Pyysalo] called me off and when I heard his voice I knew he would get the job done."
MAN OF THE MATCH
- Sophomore Phil Hicks played forward, midfield and defense for the Citronauts against the Lopes.
- He finished with one shot, but impacted the match through his hard work and determination.
- The New Orleans, La., native is one of a number of versatile players that coach Cunningham has on the roster.
"Phil has had an awesome attitude since he started training in the summer, which has continued through today," Cunningham said. "He came in and gave us a spark off the bench by being tough defensively and fighting off their center backs."
FINISHING THE MATCH
- Each of the last two games, the Knights had an opportunity for a positive result with a 1-0 lead and 0-0 tie entering the 80th minute, but faltered in both matches.
- The Knights continued pressing after GCU scored its lone goal in the 69th minute.
- Junior Zach Biggs made a game-saving stop, which was his third of the game, in 75th minute.
"After Grand Canyon had a little momentum following the goal, it gave them a little boost," Cunningham said. "We matured a bit and really had some chances to get that third goal. In the last 10 minutes, we killed the game quite nicely."
CITRONAUT NIGHT
-The Citronauts wore special edition fauxback uniforms during the contest.
-The kits for the men's and women's teams will be available to purchase on Tuesday to the public for $80.
-Fans received a special-edition Citronaut scarf for attending the soccer doubleheader.
-The Citronaut was the first unofficial mascot of FTU and appeared on the school's handbook in 1968-69. FTU become UCF back in 1980.
NEXT UP
- UCF is back in action on Wednesday with a road trip to play Jacksonville at 8 p.m.
- American Athletic Conference play begins on Sept. 26 with an 8:30 p.m. start at Memphis.
- The Knights return to the UCF Soccer Complex on Sept. 29 against FIU at 7 p.m.
Story by Nate Blythe. Photos by Simone Amaduzzi.