ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – For the sixth straight week, the UCF women's soccer team continued its climb in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, moving up two spots to No. 8 in Tuesday's poll.
After breaking into the Top 10 last week, the Knights again earned the highest ranking under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak. The eighth slot is also UCF's highest ranking since 2012 when the Knights came in at No. 6.
UCF (9-1-1, 5-0-1) extended its unbeaten streak with matching 4-0 victories at Houston and SMU last weekend. The Knights have not lost a match since dropping their season opener at then-No. 4 South Carolina. UCF has topped two Pac 12 opponents and an ACC foe in the 10-match unbeaten streak.
The Knights are also among the top 10 nationally in four statistical categories. UCF ranks sixth in scoring offense (2.82), seventh in points per game (8.45), eighth in assists per game (2.82) and 10th in win-loss-tie percentage (0.864).
Individually, Vera Varis has compiled a 0.254 goals against average that ranks second in the nation. She ranks seventh nationally with a .700 save percentage. Morgan Ferrara, who has scored nine goals over the last four matches, ranks second in the nation with an average of 1.00 goals per game. Of her 11 goals this season, five have been game winners, which is the fourth best in the country.
Both Varis and Ferrara, along with Kathellen Sousa, earned American Athletic Conference weekly awards on Monday. Ferrara, who was named the Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Week last week, earned a spot on the TDS Team of the Week again on Tuesday.
The NCAA released its updated RPI ratings on Monday, and for the fourth consecutive week, the Knights remained in the top 10. UCF held the seventh spot this week. The RPI standings rank more than 330 teams based upon their wins, losses and strength of schedule.
The Knights are no stranger to the United Soccer Coaches – previously known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) – rankings. From Dec. 2011 until Sept. 2015, the Knights had been ranked or receiving votes in every NSCAA poll.
The Black and Gold returned to the poll on Aug. 29, jumping in at No. 24. UCF has continued to move up in each release of the weekly poll.
With this week being UCF's bye week from league play, the Knights will make a trip to Baton Rouge to take on LSU at 2 p.m. ET. The teams were originally scheduled to play on Sept. 8, but the match was postponed prior to Hurricane Irma making landfall in Florida.
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.
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.
