WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The UCF men's soccer team dropped their season opener on the road against No. 15 Wake Forest by a score of 1-0 on Thursday night.
The score was 0-0 through the first 45 minutes, with Wake Forest tallying four shot attempts in the first 11 minutes. At the end of the opening half, the Demon Deacons had outshot the Knights 9-3, but the shots on goal were a much closer 3-2 margin in favor of Wake Forest. Freshman Juanvi Muñoz made a trio of saves on some good chances by the opposition but made sure to keep the zero on the scoreboard at the break.
Wake Forest opened the second half with a quick goal as Hosei Kijima slipped his way through the defense and pushed a header just past Muñoz in the 48th minute. Oscar Sears and Jahlane Forbes earned assists on the goal.
UCF battled until the final whistle, creating a last-minute flurry in the Wake Forest 18-yard box. Nothing came of the chance, ending the match in a 1-0 final. The Knights were outshot by just one in the second half, with Wake Forest owning a 6-5 lead in shot attempts.
Muñoz made five saves in his collegiate debut, coming up with a pair of saves in the second half to try and keep his team in it following the goal.
The Knights have dropped their fourth straight season opener, falling to the Demon Deacons twice in that stretch. UCF lost 2-1 to then-No. 6 Wake Forest in 2019 and again on Thursday night as the No. 15 team in the country. The Black and Gold are now 0-4 all-time against the Demon Deacons, with all meetings being played in Winston-Salem.
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The Knights will play their first of six home matches on Monday as they host North Florida at 7 p.m.
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