ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF men's soccer team fell to SMU by a score of 5-0 in its final home match of the 2021 regular season.
"Probably the most concise way to put it is that we did not show up," said head coach Scott Calabrese. "From the first minute of the game, you could see our energy, effort and intensity was completely below what was needed in that game. That's the second game in a row that's happened and amazing, when we went down a man and 4-0, we changed. Suddenly, we found the energy and motivation to play at a level that would allow us to be in that game. I couldn't explain why we didn't come to play tonight."
The match was an uncharacteristic outing for the Knights, only registering seven shots attempts and just one shot on goal compared to their top 20 nationally ranked season averages of 15.62 and 7.31 respectively. UCF had scored two or more goals in their last four matches but couldn't bury one on Sunday night. The Knights had scored three or more goals in seven of their last nine matches entering the evening and were the third highest ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 2.69 goals per game.
The scoring got off to an odd start as SMU's first two goals sort of just found their way into the back of the net. Skage Simonsen was the one to touch home a chance off a free kick in the 23rd minute that bounced around in the box with Mads Westergren getting an assist on the play. Knut Ahlander was on the receiving end of a ball over the top in the 37th minute and was turned aside by Tyler Lavigne on his shot, but Wyatt priest was there to bury the opportunity.
SMU led in shots at the half by a count of 9-3 with corners even at 2-2. The Mustangs picked up right where they left off in the first 45, earning a free kick at the top of the box. Gabriel Costa tucked one into the top left in the 55th minute, giving his side a 3-0 lead. Five minutes later, Simonsen netted his second goal of the night, touching a ball that was popped high into the air down to his feet and turning on a dime to score.
To make matters worse, UCF's captain Mauricio Villalobos Vega was shown his second yellow of the match in the 63rd minute and was sent off for what appeared to be a dive in the box in the eyes of the official. Villalobos had not picked up a card all season until Sunday's contest. The final goal of the evening came in the 84th minute where Simonsen finished off the hat trick, dancing around defenders in the box and somehow tucking it home.
The loss is something that hasn't been seen in over a decade at UCF. Sunday's loss is the first time since 2007 that the Knights have conceded five goals in a match. The Knights opened that 2007 campaign with a 5-2 loss on the road at South Florida. The last time UCF lost 5-0 was the match prior to the result against the Bulls, dropping the final match of the 2006 season 5-0 on the road to Tulsa. The Black and Gold also opened that season with a 5-0 road loss at Wake Forest. The last time the Knights conceded five goals at home was all the way back in 1993 in a 5-3 loss to Jacksonville.
The Knights wrap up their 2021 home slate with a record of 4-4. UCF has only lost seven regular season matches at home during Calabrese's tenure, meaning that in his previous four years here, the Black and Gold have only fallen in three regular season matches. Prior to the 2020-21 season, that number was just one.
With Sunday's loss paired with Tulsa's 3-2 victory over Temple, the Golden Hurricane snap UCF's run of three straight regular season championships as they have clinched the number one seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament. The conference tournament for The American's automatic NCAA Tournament bid will be held in Tulsa, with the semifinals taking place on Nov. 10 and the championship match being held on Nov. 13.
UP NEXT
The Knights will visit No. 8 Tulsa on Friday to wrap up the 2021 regular season schedule. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.
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. Click here to download the app now.
