ORLANDO – A three-match unbeaten run and first Big 12 triumph has the RV UCF women’s soccer team (5-2-0) embarking on its first road conference match of the season at Houston (6-2-1) in good form. Boasting a 4-2 win over reigning Big 12 tournament champions, West Virginia, the Knights collide with a familiar opponent in the Cougars, who dropped their first Big 12 bout at Texas Tech, 3-0.
The match is slated for an 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff on Thursday night from the historical Carl Lewis International Complex. The match will be an streamed on ESPN+ and you can follow along here.
It will be a historic occasion for both programs as their 20th meeting all-time will mark the Cougars first home match as a Big 12 member. The two teams first met in 2005 as members of Conference-USA - 18 years and a decade-long stay in the American Athletic Conference later - UCF and Houston turn the page on a new chapter in one of the nation’s best leagues. Tabbed 10th in the Big 12 preseason poll, the Cougars present a high-flying attack that averages just over three goals per match.
SQUAD INSIGHT
The Knights are fresh off a dominating 4-2 victory over West Virginia, even further extending their home unbeaten streak to 381 days, an active Big 12 record. In the Big 12 debut, the squad has three different goal scorers, the first time this has happened since UCF took on Florida on Aug. 18, 2022. After West Virginia netted an early sequence, the offense responded quickly with more pressure in the final third. Dayana Martin picked up her second goal of the season thanks in part to beautiful ball from Talia Gabarra. On a breakaway, Martin made history with the first Big 12 goal in school history to tie the match up at one. Ellie Moreno continued to show her love for Orlando, collecting her fifth goal in four home matches. Mia Asenjo and Martin picked up assists on the goal that gave the Knights the lead. With the momentum still on UCF’s side, Chloe Netzel earned her fourth goal of the season off a highlight-worthy goal that came in off the crossbar. The Mountaineers collected their second and last goal of the night off a penalty kick, but UCF got the advantage back up to two on a West Virginia own goal to cap off the historic night.
Ellie Moreno has continued to impress, leading the team in both goals (five) and points (10). Her five goals through the first seven matches of the season have already matched her season-high of five, picked up in 2021. Transfer Kyleigh Thelen has played the full 90 minutes in all seven matches, providing a reliable presence on the backline. In the past two matches, the junior has made two team saves, as well as numerous essential clearances and tackles to limit opponents scoring.
UCF was dominant on the road during its final season in the American Athletic Conference. In the 2022 conference season, the Knights had a 3-0-1 record on the road, with the only draw coming from a 0-0 result at Memphis. The last time the squad dropped a conference road match was the 2021 season finale at Cincinnati, falling 3-1 to the Bearcats.
THE OPPONENT
Eight non-conference matches present a mixture of tense duels and lopsided victories, including a six-match winning streak that saw Houston embody its football team, outscoring opponents 28-7. On the contrary, the Cougars lone draw at Washington to open the season and two defeats to in-state opposition have seen them held scoreless through 270 minutes. Houston welcomes the Knights on the back of a dip in form, falling to Texas State, 1-0, on Sept. 10, and while its encounter with Texas Tech remained 1-0 entering the second half, the Red Raiders put any doubt to rest with two second-half goals, securing the 3-0 win. With 28 goals and 24 assists, Houston currently sits second in the Big 12 in points with 80, just three behind Oklahoma State in first.
Embarking on his second season leading the Cougars, Jaime Frias possesses an experienced resume at all levels of soccer in the United States. A two-time team captain at his alma mater Centenary College of Louisiana, he would transition into coaching following graduation in 2000. Frias has since held coaching positions with the U.S. women’s youth national teams, including leading the U16 squad from 2016-17 and three seasons with the U18 team from 2017-19 before returning to Virginia as an assistant coach. From his original sting with the Cavaliers leading up to departing for his third head coaching position, Frias assisted Virginia to seven NCAA tournaments, including a runner-up campaign in 2014.
Frias infused the squad with a talented freshman group and landed San Diego transfer Cameryn Maddox. Her form throughout non-conference play transformed the Cougars attack into one of the more lethal oppositions in the conference, bagging five goals over three matches along with three braces in a six-match span. An All-WCC Freshman Team nod following three goals and two assists in 2022 propelled Maddox into one of the top transfer portal targets. Caitlyn Matthews is among the veteran core of Houston as the senior midfielder has already set single-season career highs in goals (three) and assists (four).
STROYLINES
- The Knights embark on their first away match in Big 12 conference play, with the potential to become the first of the four new members to secure an away win after becomign the first to secure their inaguaral win. UCF secured it's second away win in the AAC against Houston following a dominating 4-0 triumph in 2013.
- Ellie Moreno will look to set a new single-season career high in goals following a blazing first half of her 2023 campaign. A goal at Houston would also secure Moreno her first away goal of the season.
- Caroline DeLisle will start between the posts for the fourth time against Houston. The fifth year has allowed just one goal in 360 minutes against the Cougars. The three clean sheets make up DeLisles 28 total in her career, as the Tampa native is just three away from breaking the program record in shutouts.