ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – For the second straight week, the No. 13 UCF women's soccer team had a pair of players recognized by the American Athletic Conference. Senior Morgan Ferrara earned The American Offensive Player of the Week, while freshman Dina Orschmann collected her third Rookie of the Week accolade.
Ferrara recorded her first career hat trick in UCF's 5-0 win over Memphis, becoming the first Knight since Sept. 2013 to achieve the feat. The Tampa, Fla., native also scored a pair of goals in UCF's 6-1 win over Tulsa. Ferrara's five goals on the weekend pushed her season total to a team-leading seven goals.
Orschmann recorded at least one point in each of UCF's victories over the weekend. She scored the opening goal to give the Knights a 1-0 edge over Tulsa in the first half. On Sunday, she assisted Kayla Adamek's goal in UCF's 5-0 win over Memphis. The Berlin, Germany native has tallied at least one point in six of UCF's last seven matches.
The duo sparked the UCF offense as the Knights scored a combined 11 goals in a weekend sweep. The last time the Knights had such a stretch came during the 2012 campaign. After topping ECU 7-0 on Oct. 19, 2012, UCF downed Marshall 5-0 on Oct. 21.
Vera Varis earned a spot on the league's honor roll after another solid weekend in goal. The Vantaa, Finland native has yet to allow a goal in league play, and has only conceded one goal during UCF's eight-match unbeaten streak. Her goals-against average ranks in the top 15 nationally at 0.34.
Monday's honor marks the third Rookie of the Week accolade for Orschmann this season, and the fourth overall for UCF. Ferrara, who became the third Knight to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors this season, collected the accolade for the first time in her career.
UCF returns to action this week, making a trip to Texas for a pair of league matches. The Knights face Houston on Oct. 5 before facing 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.
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.
