ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The American Athletic Conference title defense starts tomorrow as the No. 12 UCF men's soccer opens their conference slate against the Temple Owls at 7 p.m.
THE OPPONENT
Temple will visit The City Beautiful with a record of 2-4 and an 0-3 mark on the road. The Owls have scored just four goals all season, scoring three of them in their shutout victory over Lafayette. However, the Temple defense has been strong, allowing just a goal per match. In each of their matches to this point, the losing team has been shut out every time. Temple began their season with three straight losses, falling to Rutgers, then No. 13 Georgetown and Villanova.
Lukas Fernandes leads the Owls with two goals scored as he accounts for half of Temple's total offense to this point. He has taken a team high 22 shots and has landed 15 of them on frame. The six-foot-nine frame of Simon Lefebvre will most likely be in goal for Temple, as he has started in all six matches. He has allowed a goal a game and has recorded 16 saves with a save percentage of .727.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Cal Jennings has led the Knights in scoring with eight goals through seven matches. He is tied for the No. 2 spot in goals scored in the nation, trialing the top spot by just a single goal. Jennings has also scored in six straight matches. The only game he didn't score in was the season opener at Wake Forest which UCF lost by a score of 2-1. Since that loss, the Knights have gone unbeaten over their last six matches and have won their last four.
The Knights have grabbed the early edge in their last five matches, scoring within the first 15 minutes in each match. They've scored before the seven-minute mark in their last two, with Gino Vivi scoring in the fourth minute against FGCU and Jennings scoring in the seventh minute against South Carolina.
BY THE NUMBERS
Temple comes into the match allowing just 7.2 shots per match while taking 14.8. These numbers clash with the Knights' style of play as they take an average of 15.6 shots per game while allowing 8.9.
The all-time series record between UCF and Temple stands at 2-2-2. Both sides have traded wins over the last four seasons with the home team prevailing each time. The last three matches have all been decided by a score of 1-0. The two team's head to head history began with two ties in 2013 and 2014.
PROMOTION & PARKING
The first 100 UCF students in attendance receive a "fast pass" into the UCF football game against UConn on Sept. 28. Due to a concert in Addition Financial Arena on the same night as the soccer match, garages D, F and H will be charging for parking. Fans can park in any other part of campus for free, including the baseball lot and lot E8.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2019 men's soccer season are available now. To catch every moment on the pitch this year, click here.
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.