The UCF men's soccer team's win over Memphis to crown the Knights as back to back conference champions prevailed as the top moment in 2019 from the team's Moment Madness bracket.
It was a tight contest that required a 24-hour tiebreaker, but in the end, the team's thrilling 1-0 victory to propel UCF to their second straight regular season title was named as Knight Nation's favorite moment from last season. The runner-up was Gino Vivi's goal in overtime against Cincinnati which gave the Knights sole possession of the regular season conference championship.
The Moment Madness bracket was a fan voting experience taking place primarily on the team's Twitter page. The tiebreaker opened voting up to all three platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Relive the Top Moment of 2019
UCF earned their back to back regular season crown in a tight contest against Memphis, a team who was receiving votes in the polls at the time. The Tigers were right on the tails of the Knights in the conference standings as the top spot was up for grabs.
It wasn't until the 85th minute when the Knights found the only goal of the match. Cal Jennings fed the ball to the wing to an awaiting Vivi who looked over his options and fed it backwards to Louis Perez who was roughly 30 yards out. Perez found a lane to Gianluca Arcangeli who did the rest from there. After a couple of dekes with the ball, Arcangeli found the lane and snuck one between the post and the goalkeeper.
The win clinched the top seed in the conference tournament as well as at least a share of the conference title. The Knights eventually went on to take sole possession of the crown on the final day of the regular season, giving them back to back outright championships.
GOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!
— American MSoccer (@American_MSoc) November 2, 2019
What a counter! Gianluca Arcangeli showing off the craft to put @UCF_MSoccer on the BOARD! pic.twitter.com/Eq2ReXJhxV
Player's Favorite Moments
"My favorite moment from last season was the win against Missouri State in the NCAA Tournament. It gave the team the chance to play in the Sweet 16 for the first time. I felt it was part of a new page in UCF's history. It was a very special night." – Gino Vivi
"My favorite moment from 2019 was our match against Memphis where we won back to back regular season championships. We knew it was such an important game and the team was very strong that night." – Yannik Oettl
"My favorite moment from this season was the NCAA Tournament win that qualified us for the Sweet 16. I remember the atmosphere was incredible that night and the challenge that came with playing in a tournament game." – Mauricio Villalobos Vega
"My favorite moment from the 2019 season was our win over #6 UNC. I felt that this win gave the team a lot of confidence and belief that we are a team that can be at the top. From that game on, we continued to play better and better." – Yoni Sorokin
Moment Madness Bracket Results
Final
2. Back to Back Champs of The American (53 percent) defeats 5. Vivi's OT Goal vs. Cincinnati (47 percent)
SEMIFINALS
5. Vivi's OT Goal vs. Cincinnati (51 percent) defeats 1. NCAA Tournament Victory (49 percent)
2. Back to Back Champs of The American (73 percent) defeats 6. War On I-4 Victory (27 percent)
QUARTERFINALS
1. NCAA Tournament Victory (81 percent) beats 9. OT Win vs. Tulsa (19 percent)
5. Vivi's OT Goal vs. Cincinnati (52 percent) beats 13. Di Lallo Chips VCU Keeper with 4 Seconds Left (48 percent)
6. War On I-4 Victory (51 percent) beats 3. Set Piece at UNC (49 percent)
2. Back to Back Champs of The American (79 percent) beats 10. Cal's 40th Career Goal Beats Stetson in OT (21 percent)
ROUND 1
1. NCAA Tournament Victory (97 percent) beats 16. Sorokin's OT PK Goal Against UTRGV (3 percent)
9. OT Win vs. Tulsa (54 percent) beats 8. Villalobos' Goal Against Temple in AAC Semifinals (46 percent)
5. Vivi's OT Goal at Cincinnati (92 percent) beats 12. OT Win Against FAU (8 percent)
13. Di Lallo Chips VCU Keeper with 4 Seconds Left (51 percent) beats 4. Jennings' Hat Trick Against Temple in AAC Semifinals (49 percent)
3. Set Piece Goal at UNC (76 percent) beats 14. Perez's Preseason Goal, First Since Returning from Injury (24 percent)
6. War On I-4 Victory (65 percent) beats 11. Jennings' Breakaway Goal Against Penn State (35 percent)
10. Cal's 40th Career Goal Beats Stetson in OT (54 percent) beats 7. Sorokin's Header off the Bench in NCAA Tournament (46 percent)
2. Back to Back Champions of The American (83 percent) beats 15. Cal's Goal Through Traffic Against VCU (17 percent)
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