ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – No. 10 UCF Women's Soccer heads to Texas for a pair of American Athletic Conference matches. The Knights face Houston on Thursday before playing at SMU on Sunday.
Thursday's match at Houston is slated for an 8 p.m. ET start. The Knights will take on SMU at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.
UCF (7-1-1, 3-0-1 The American) enters the weekend on an eight-match unbeaten streak.
Top 10 Team
- The Knights moved into the top 10 in the rankings for the first time since 2012, and the first time under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.
- UCF jumped in the poll at No. 24 on Aug. 29 and has steadily climbed, landing at No. 10 in the Oct. 3 poll.
- Nationally, the Knights rank seventh in points per game (7.89), eighth in scoring offense (2.56) and ninth in assists per game (2.78).
- Individually, Vera Varis is fifth in the country with a 0.34 goals against average.
- The NCAA released its updated RPI ratings on Monday, with UCF in the top five for the third straight week.
Goals on Goals
- UCF (7-1-1, 3-0-1) rolled to a pair of American Athletic Conference victories over the weekend, outscoring Tulsa and Memphis 11-1.
- 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.
- In its first six matches, UCF combined to score eight goals. In the last three matches alone, the Knights have connected on 15 goals.
- In the 6-1 win over Tulsa, UCF scored its most goals since joining The American, and the most under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.
Dominant Defense
- UCF's defense has been outstanding this season.
- 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 unbeaten stretch.
- Sunday's 5-0 victory over Memphis marked the fourth shutout of the season.
- Vera Varis has yet to concede a goal in league play and has an overall goals-against average of 0.34 on the season.
Scouting the Cougars
- UCF and Houston meet for the 13th time on the pitch. UCF leads the all-time series 11-0-1, including a 4-0 victory over the Cougars in Orlando last season.
- Houston enters the match with a 5-4-1 overall record, with a 1-1-0 mark in league play.
- The Cougars have scored a majority of their goals in the second half – with 13 of their 21 coming in the second 45 minutes.
Scouting the Mustangs
- Sunday's meeting marks the 21st time UCF and SMU have faced off. The Knights lead the all-time series 13-6-1, but the last meeting between the squads saw the Mustangs advance in the American Athletic Conference tournament on PKs.
- The Mustangs hold a 5-3-3 record on the season and are 0-1-1 league play. SMU hosts USF on Thursday.
- Vanessa Valadez has a team-leading five goals for the Mustangs this season, while Catie Brown has made 37 saves in goal this season.
UCF returns to action on Oct. 15, heading to Baton Rouge to take on LSU.
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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