ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - Carrying its momentum into Sunday's match, the No. 13 UCF women's soccer team kept its unbeaten streak rolling with a 5-0 win over Memphis in an American Athletic Conference matchup at the UCF Soccer Complex.
"I'm really proud of this team," UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. "To score five goals is like a dream come true. Memphis is a very good team and we have a lot of respect for them. We knew we had to come out strong."
UCF (7-1-1, 3-0-1 The American) extended its unbeaten streak to eight games with the win. The Knights also earned their fifth win over Memphis (7-5-1, 1-2-1 The American).
Morgan Ferrara became the first Knight since 2013 to record a hat trick.
- Morgan Ferrara scored three goals in the second half to become the first Knight since Tatiana Coleman accomplished the feat against North Florida on Sept. 6, 2013.
- The Tampa, Fla., native now has a team-leading seven goals on the season after entering the match with four markers.
- Ferrara became the second Knight under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak to join the hat trick club.
UCF has all the goals.
- In its first six games of the season, the Knights combined to score eight goals. In the last three matches alone, UCF has connected on 15 goals.
- During the stretch, seven Knights have recorded at least one goal, with three Knights netting three or more. Ferrara leads the way, while Kayla Adamek and Dina Orschmann each have three goals.
- The last time UCF scored five or more goals in back-to-back games came during the 2012 campaign. After topping ECU 7-0 on Oct. 19, 2012, the Knights downed Marshall 5-0 on Oct. 21.
- Bridget Callahan tallied her first career game-winning goal, scoring off a corner kick from Carrie Lawrence in the seventh minute.
The Knights closed the gap in the all-time series against the Tigers.
- UCF entered the match trailing Memphis 9-7-1 in the all-time series.
- The Tigers snapped UCF's four-game win streak with a 1-0 win in the regular season final in Memphis in 2016.
The defense has stepped up in the last eight matches.
- After allowing two goals in the season opener at then-No. 4 South Carolina, the UCF defense has shut down opponents.
- The Knights have not allowed more than one goal in a match during the eight-game stretch.
- Sunday's victory marked the fourth shutout of the season.
- Goalkeeper Vera Varis has yet to concede a goal in league play and has an overall goals-against average of 0.34 on the season.
NEXT UP
The Knights return action next weekend, making a trip to Texas for a pair of league matchups. UCF faces Houston on Oct. 5, before taking on SMU on Oct. 8.
DON'T MISS OUT
The UCF women's soccer team is set for its fifth season under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak and will welcome six teams from the 2016 NCAA Tournament to the UCF Soccer Complex in 2017. Click here or call (407) 823-1000 for ticket information.
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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.
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