ORLANDO, Fla. – The No. 20 UCF men's soccer team is headed back to the Big Dance as the Knights will take on James Madison in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, May 2 at 5:00 p.m. in Cary, North Carolina.
This marks the third straight that UCF is headed to the tournament as the Knights also earned spots in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. It is the first time the Knights have gone to three straight NCAA Tournaments since they did it in 2002-04, and it will be the team's eighth overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It is also the third consecutive year that UCF will receive a first-round bye.
Earning the automatic bid after winning the American Athletic Conference title on April 17, the Knights are the sole AAC team to earn a spot in the 36-team tournament field.
Posting a 5-0-3 regular season record, James Madison comes into the tournament having not lost a game all season. This will be the second meeting between the Knights and the Dukes, with JMU taking home the 5-0 win in 1990.
The Dukes won their third consecutive Colonial Athletic Association title this season, taking down Hofstra in overtime to win their eighth CAA title, moving them into a tie for the most in conference history.
JMU currently leads the country in team goals against average (0.231), save percentage (0.933), and shutout percentage (0.750).
Meanwhile, the UCF defense has been equally as impressive. Knights' goalkeeper Yannik Oettl is currently third in the country with a 0.912 save percentage and is sixth in the nation with 5.20 saves per game. With six shutouts this season, he is tied for fifth in the country.
The Knights are also fresh off their third straight conference title as UCF secured the regular season crown with a win over Memphis on April 10 before solidifying themselves at the top of the conference with their first ever AAC Tournament Championship victory on April 17, taking down Tulsa in overtime to secure the trophy.
If the Knights take down JMU in the second round, theu will move on to play the winner of Pittsburgh and Bowling Green/Monmouth. For more information, you can check out the full NCAA Tournament bracket here.
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