Oct. 8, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) -- Following the UCF women's soccer team's 3-1 win over Memphis on Thursday night, head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak brought her team in around her.
Her message was clear to the squad who had just snapped its three-game skid: Good things happen when you stick together.
"The season is all about peaks and valleys. It's important for the team to stick together when you have those challenges," Roberts Sahaydak said. "We focused on team work and we focused on believing. It made it really simple. It's great because we got confirmation (tonight) that that's all it really takes."
Related: Box Score | Box Score
The Knights (7-5-1, 2-3-0) jumped out to an early lead thanks to junior forward Carol Rodrigues' two goals in the first 16 minutes.
Although Memphis got a jolt from Elizabeth Woerner's goal in the 18th minute, the game was put out of reach in the 85th minute when Diamond Simpson got in the way of Julia Moore's low shot near the right post for an own goal.
Double Dip
? Carol Rodrigues netted her sixth and seventh goals of the season on Thursday night and notched her second game-winner of the year.
? Sophomore forward Kayla Adamek was involved in both scores. The first goal came in the 6th minute when a Memphis defender couldn't get a good touch on the ball, allowing Adamek to swoop in and quickly send it to senior Ashley Spivey. Spivey turned and found Rodrigues in the box to put the Knights on the board.
? In the 16th minute, sophomore Jen Vera moved the ball down the right sideline, forwarding it to Adamek. Adamek gained ground and sent a cross straight to Rodrigues, who headed it in as she sprinted toward the left post.
? Vera was credited with her first career assist on the game-winning goal.
Move Over, Memphis
? Heading into Thursday's game, Memphis was one of three teams still unbeaten in league play. The Knights put a halt to the Tigers' unbeaten streak at four matches.
? UCF also strung together its fourth-straight win in its series with its longtime rival.
Up Next
? UCF welcomes Tulsa on Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff set to broadcast on the American Digital Network.
? Tulsa lost its unbeaten status in a 1-0 loss at USF on Thursday night.
? Frontrunner Cincinnati saw its nine-match unbeaten streak snap at Temple early Thursday afternoon, making things more interesting in the race to the regular season title.
Story by Jenna Marina; Video by Troy Kless and Evan Weston; Photos by Brad Helton