ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – For the first time since 2013, the No. 7/8 UCF women's soccer team will play for the American Athletic Conference tournament title. The Knights will host South Florida for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The top-seeded Knights will face the second-seeded Bulls at 2 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex.
UCF (13-1-2) enters the match, which will air on ESPNews, on a 15-match unbeaten streak.
Tickets for the 2017 tournament on sale now. Adult tickets are $5. Youth (ages 2-17), seniors (age 62+) and groups of 10+ tickets are available for $4. Any conference student with their student ID will have free admission for the duration of the tournament. To purchase tickets, click here.
To the Title Game
- The Knights, who captured the regular season title on Oct. 27, will play in their 16th conference championship game on Sunday.
- UCF advanced to its second title game in the American Athletic Conference with a 3-0 win over Memphis in the semifinals. The Knights won the 2013 title on penalty kicks in Orlando.
- The Black and Gold have won a conference tournament championship 10 times in program history dating back to their time in the Atlantic Sun conference.
- UCF has accumulated 22 conference championships since 1981.
The Series
- UCF and USF meet for the 16th time, but the first time in a conference tournament championship game.
- The Knights lead the all-time series 10-2-3. The last five meetings include a pair of UCF victories (2014, 2015), one USF win (2015 American Athletic Conference semifinal) and a pair of tie (2016, 2017).
- In the regular season matchup, South Florida scored on a penalty kick with 10 seconds remaining in the first half to take a 1-0 lead in the match. UCF responded in the 58th minute as Morgan Ferrara found Dina Orschmann, who netted the equalizer to clinch the regular season title for the Knights.
Scouting the Bulls
- South Florida enters the match with an 12-3-1 overall record.
- The Bulls are on a eight-match unbeaten streak, advancing to The American championship with a 1-0 victory over sixth-seeded SMU.
- Evelyn Viens, who leads the USF offense with 10 goals and 27 points, was a unanimous all-conference first team selection. Andrea Hauskdottir joined Viens on the first team.
- Kat Elliott, who has compiled a 1.32 goals against average on the season, earned second team all-conference honors.
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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