ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF finishes a season-opening four-match road trip at No. 14 West Virginia on Saturday. The contest is set to start at 7 p.m. at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
Fans can follow the action from Morgantown, W.Va., with free streaming video and live stats.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
- UCF used a hat trick from senior Matias Pyysalo to post a 4-0 victory at Jacksonville on Sept. 4.
- The Knights had their Sept. 1 match vs. No. 16 Charlotte canceled due to inclement weather in Orlando and will play their fourth-straight road match to start the season at West Virginia.
- Freshman goalkeeper Yannik Oettl made four stops to record his first-career shutout at Jacksonville.
- With three goals and six points, Pyysalo paces the UCF attack. He has totaled 12 shots, including seven that have been on target.
- A total of 13 saves and a 1.00 goals-against average has been compiled by Oettl.
ABOUT THE MOUNTAINEERS
- The Mountaineers have posted a 3-0-1 mark with victories over California (1-0), Santa Clara (2-0) and Wright State (4-1) along with a draw vs. Monmouth (0-0 2OT).
- WVU is ranked No. 14 by the United Soccer Coaches and No. 23 by Top Drawer Soccer.
- Jad Arslan is the leading scorer with four goals, while one goal and four assists have been tabulated by Jorge Quintanilla.
- Goalkeeper Stephen Banick has conceded just one goal, while tallying three shutouts and making 13 saves.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE MOUNTAINEERS
- UCF won the only meeting in the all-time series with a 4-0 triumph in 1985.
- This will be the first meeting between the two schools in Morgantown, W.Va.
LAST TIME OUT AT JACKSONVILLE
- Senior Matias Pyysalo netted a natural hat trick in a 4-0 victory at Jacksonville.
- The first goal which proved to be the game-winner was tallied by freshman Yoni Sorokin in the 20th minute on a feed by classmate Hattabiou Barry.
- Freshman Yannik Oettl made four second-half stops to preserve his first-career shutout.
- The Knights fired 14 of their 24 shots in the second half and did not concede a shot in the first frame.
HATS OFF FOR MATIAS
- The trio of goals for Pyysalo came in the 30th, 54th and 67th minutes at Jacksonville. He tallied eight shots including six on target during 90 minutes of action.
- His first goal came on a feed by Sorokin, who finished with three points in the match.
- The American Preseason Offensive Player of the Year collected his own rebound in the 54th minute to extend the UCF lead to 3-0.
- A pretty feed from junior Max Stiegwardt led to the third tally by the Helsinki, Finland, native.
- It was the first hat trick recorded by a Knight since Deshorn Brown (currently with DC United) accomplished the feat vs. Memphis (10/24/12)
CALLING ON CALABRESE
- Head coach Scott Calabrese is in his first season guiding the Knights and picked up his first win at Jacksonville (9/4).
- He spent the past three seasons at FIU, taking the program to its first NCAA Tournament in 10 years.
- The Newton, Conn., native has compiled an 85-67-20 overall mark and started the program at East Tennessee State in 2008.
- Calabrese has an experienced staff in Will Clayton, who played and coached at Wake Forest, and Paul Souders, who played for Calabrese at Clemson and coached at New Mexico.
THE FINNISH FINISHER
- Senior Matias Pyysalo was tabbed as The American Offensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches.
- He tallied a natural hat trick, scoring the final three goals at Jacksonville. It was the first hat trick of his career.
- The Helsinki, Finland, native tallied six of his 10 goals in conference play.
- The 2016 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year paced the league with 14 points and delivered game-winning goals vs. SMU (10/1), UConn (10/22) and Cincinnati (11/5)
- He has totaled 21 goals and 14 assists in his career as a Knight.
NEXT UP
- UCF plays its first match at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against FIU. This will be the first time that Coach Calabrese goes up against his former team.
- The Knights then play three-consecutive matches on the road at FGCU (9/19), USF (9/23) and SMU (9/29).
A NEW ERA
The UCF men's soccer team is in its first campaign under the guidance of head coach Scott Calabrese and will welcome seven teams to the UCF Soccer Complex. Click here or call (407) 823-1000 for ticket information.
BECOME A PART OF THE WATCH
Membership to Knights Watch, the official supporters group of UCF Soccer, begins at $15 for students and $50 for fans. Packages include tickets to all home contests for men's and women's soccer, a Knights Watch T-Shirt, a soccer scarf and a variety of free catered tailgates. To become a member, click here.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android phone! The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news.