#23 UCF vs. #21 Texas | #23 UCF at #4 North Carolina |
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The first road trip of the 2018 campaign will also serve as the season opener for the No. 23 UCF women’s soccer team. The Knights travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. for a pair of contests at Finley Fields South.
The Knights will face a pair of nationally ranked squads as they open against No. 21 Texas (1-0-1) at 5 p.m. on Aug. 24 before taking on No. 4 North Carolina (2-0-1) at 2 p.m. on Aug. 26.
Both matches will air on the ACC Network Extra.
Carolina Connections
- UCF’s matchups against Texas and UNC hold connections to Knights head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.
- Roberts Sahaydak was an All-America midfielder at Carolina, playing for the Tar Heels from 1995-98. She won NCAA titles in 1996 and 1997.
- Texas head coach Angela Kelly graduated from UNC in 1995 and was a first-team All-America midfielder in 1994.
- Both Roberts Sahaydak and Kelly played under UNC head coach Anson Dorrance, who picked up his 1,000th career victory on Aug. 19.
- UCF associate head coach Tim Sahaydak is also a former Tar Heel.
The Knights
- UCF will play its first official contest of 2018 after its season opener was called off due to inclement weather.
- The Knights enter the week ranked 23rd in the United Soccer Coaches poll and are 14th in the TopDrawerSoccer rankings.
- Senior goalkeeper Vera Varis pulled in the preseason accolades, earning a spot on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The Vantaa, Finland, native was tabbed as the American Athletic Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and was named the First Team Goalkeeper on the Top Draw Best XI.
- In addition to Varis, sophomore Dina Orschmann was named to The American’s preseason all-conference squad. The Berlin native spent the preseason representing Germany at the U20 Women’s World Cup.
The Field
- The Knights will take on Texas and UNC on the trip to North Carolina.
- The Black and Gold hold the most recent victory in both series, earning a 2-0 victory over Texas in a neutral site matchup in Tampa in 2014. UCF collected a 2-1 double overtime win over North Carolina in Orlando last season.
- Texas and UNC faced off on Aug. 22, playing to a 1-1 draw.
DON'T MISS OUT
The UCF women's soccer team is set for its sixth season under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak and will welcome five teams from the 2017 NCAA Tournament to the UCF Soccer Complex in 2018. Click here or call (407) 823-1000 for ticket information.
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