ORLANDO, Fla. – In a rain-soaked match, the No. 18 ranked UCF women's soccer team weathered the storm to upset No.7 Penn State 2-1 Sunday evening.
The first half started with Penn State controlling possession but around the 15-minute mark the tide started to turn as the Knights gained control of the ball.
Ten minutes later, in the 26th minute, UCF found the back of the net on a Kristen Scott goal. Penn State would respond almost five minutes later on a goal from just outside the 18 and the 1-1 score would stand going into halftime.
Five minutes into the second half, the rain and lightning started, stopping the match for two hours and 22 minutes.
Once the Knights got the ok to play, Kristen Scott did what she did earlier in the game and found the back of the net giving the Knights a 2-1 lead on the seventh ranked team in the country. With 11 minutes left in the game, Penn State fired a rocket to UCF goalkeeper Caroline DeLisle's left where she went full extension to make an incredible save to hold on to the Knights lead.
UCF would withstand an offensive attack from the Nittany Lions over the last ten minutes to hold on to win 2-1.
Knight Notables
- Head Coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak now has 147 wins in her career, and 94 wins as the head coach at UCF.
- The Knights 2-1 win is their first win over a top 10 team since they defeated No.4 North Carolina at the UCF Soccer Complex in 2017.
- Kristen Scott's two goal performance matches her career-high, which was set when she scored a brace against Temple in 2018 and Texas this season.
- UCF was held without a corner kick for the first time this season.
- The win snapped a two-game losing streak, the Knights haven't had a three game losing streak since 2015.
Thoughts with Coach Tiff
"Really crazy game tonight, obviously the weather took it's toll, but I'm just so proud of the team," Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said of the team victory. "We never gave up, and going up a goal against a really good Penn State team was almost a dream scenario, but then we had to defend for the rest of the game. Credit to the team, because they really stood together the whole time and some people had some of their best performances that I've ever seen - and I think that's what it's going to take to keep winning games."
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.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Women's Soccer on social media on Facebook (/UCFWSoccer), Twitter (@UCF_WSoccer) and Instagram (@UCF.WSoccer).