ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The No. 7 UCF women's soccer team opens postseason play on Friday, hosting Memphis in semifinal action at the 2017 American Athletic Conference Championship.
The top-seeded Knights will face the fourth-seeded Tigers at 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex.
The match will air for free on the American Digital Network. Click here for tickets.
Tournament Time
- The Knights, who captured the regular season title on Oct. 27, host the American Athletic Conference Championship for the second time in league history.
- UCF is 2-2-3 in the tournament and captured the 2013 title with an 8-7 advantage on penalty kicks.
- Friday's matchup marks the fourth time that the Knights will play in the tournament semifinals.
Knights Awarded
- UCF claimed six of The American major awards, sweeping the league awards for the first time in program history.
- Kathellen Sousa became the fourth Knight in the five-year league history to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Morgan Ferrara became the third Knight to capture Offensive Player of the Year.
- Dina Orschmann is the first Knight to earned Rookie of the Year since 2013 when fellow German Lena Petermann garnered the award.
- Vera Varis added a second Goalkeeper of the Year honor to UCF's award list, becoming the first since Connie Organ was tabbed for the award in 2014.
- Kayla Adamek earned UCF's first Midfielder of the Year in The American, and the first to earn the award since Becca Thomas was named C-USA Midfielder of the Year in 2009.
Getting Offensive and Defensive
- UCF is among the top 25 in the country in both offensive and defensive statistical categories.
- The Knights are fifth nationally in scoring offense (2.80) and points per game (8.27).
- Allowing just eight goals all season, UCF ranks 16th in the country with a 0.513 goals-against average.
- Vera Varis, who conceded just one goal in league play, has compiled a 0.252 GAA that ranks fourth nationally.
Scouting the Tigers
- Memphis enters the match with an 11-5-3 overall record.
- The Tigers are on a six-match unbeaten streak, advancing to The American semifinals with a 3-1 victory over fifth-seeded UConn.
- Memphis leads the all-time series, 9-8-1, but the Knights have won five of the last six meetings, including a 5-0 victory over the Tigers in Orlando on Oct. 1.
- Two Tigers, Mikayla Morton and Elizabeth Woerner, pace the Memphis offense. Woerner has a team-leading 11 goals, while Morton has 10 and a team-high 26 points.
- Elizabeth Moberg earned the win over the Huskies on Nov. 1, making seven saves in 90 minutes of action.
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.
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