No. 7 UCF vs. SMU (AAC Final) |
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – It is a rematch of the 2017 American Athletic Conference Tournament Final as the one-seeded Knights take on two-seeded SMU, Saturday at 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex.
The match will be streamed live on ESPN3 and live stats will also be available. All information for The American tournament can be found at Tournament Central. All students will a valid student ID will get free entry into Saturday’s match.
No. 7 UCF rallied after the first half and netted three unanswered goals for a come-from-behind victory after trailing 2-0 heading into halftime. Max Stiegwardt, Cal Jennings, and Yoni Sorokin netted a goal each with Stiegwardt’s set piece as the game-winner in the 110th minute.
THE OPPONENT
- SMU holds a 10-4-2 overall record and finished The American 5-1-1.
- SMU boasts the overall record with the Knights at 4-6-4.
- The Mustangs shared The American regular season title with UCF, but lost home pitch advantage after UCF defeated them in the head-to-head during the regular season.
- SMU is on a seven-game unbeaten streak and have not lost a match since Sept. 28 when they lost 2-0 to UCF.
- In the meeting with the Mustangs, UCF shutout SMU, 2-0 thanks to goals from Jennings and Hattabiou Barry.
- SMU earned defeated Memphis in a semifinal match Thursday afternoon with a 2-1 win in double overtime securing them a spot in the finals.
KNIGHT BITES
- That come-from-behind rally was just the fourth time this season the Knights have had to claw their way back to either win or tie the match.
- Stiegwardt’s game winner was his first goal as a Knight after transferring to UCF after his sophomore season.
- The Knights enter Saturday’s match with a nine-match unbeaten streak. In that streak, UCF is 8-0-1.
- Home pitch advantage is sure to play in UCF’s favor as they boast an 8-1-2 record at the UCF Soccer Complex this season and 12-1-3 over their last two seasons.
- Jennings picked the right time to score his 20th goal of the season after he notched the game-tying goal in the 82nd minute. He also dished out an assist for UCF’s first goal of the match to Sorokin.
- UCF’s 13 wins is the most wins the Knights have had in a season since 1998.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Men’s Soccer on social media on Facebook (/UCFMensSoccer), Twitter (@UCF_MSoccer) and Instagram (@UCF.MSoccer).
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.