ORLANDO – Boasting a top three national ranking for the second straight week, the No. 3 UCF men’s soccer team will hit the road once more this weekend, wrapping up a two-game stint away from Orlando with a Friday evening clash against the Kentucky Wildcats.
The Knights retained their No. 3 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches’ week five poll released Tuesday afternoon, marking the third straight week that has seen UCF ranked within the top five in the nation and the fourth consecutive week that the Knights have garnered a top 10 national ranking by the organization.
UCF also debuted at No. 2 in the nation in the first release of the NCAA’s official RPI rankings Monday morning, behind only the top-ranked Marshall Thundering Herd.
The squad is, most recently, coming off a slim 1-0 road loss against Herd Sept. 23, a contest that represented the first top three matchup in program history, as well as the team’s first road game since its season-opener at then-No. 4/9 Clemson (Top Drawer/United Soccer Coaches) Aug. 24.
After allowing a first-half goal to the Thundering Herd in the 25th minute, the Knights yielded little else on the defensive end as the group continued to push for the equalizer, surrendering only four second-half shot attempts to Marshall.
The Knights nearly netted a last-minute, game-tying goal with 25 seconds to play after defender Zane Bubb hid behind the Herd netminder in an attempt to catch him by surprise and create an opportunity deep in Marshall’s end, but the officials disallowed UCF’s score after they decided it was impermissible that Bubb left the field of play prior to making the key slide tackle.
The defeat marked the Knights’ first shutout loss since they fell by a 1-0 decision at Tulsa Oct. 28, 2022, snapping a streak of seven straight games that saw UCF score at least one goal.
Despite the loss, the Knights still enter their Friday tilt boasting the third-highest scoring offense in the Sun Belt with an average of 1.86 goals per game, a mark that also ranks within the top 50 in the nation at No. 48. The group’s even 5.00 points per game is good for a share of fourth-most in the conference, and UCF has allowed an average of only 1.143 goals-against per game through its first seven matches thus far.
The Knights’ latest contest also marked the second time this season the team allowed only one goal to a top 10 team in the nation, as well as the third time the group yielded two or fewer goals to a top 11 nationally-ranked team, joining its season-opening 2-1 victory over Clemson and its 2-2 draw against then-No. 11 Florida International Sept. 5.
Starting goalkeeper Juanvi Muñoz has provided a steady presence between the goalposts for UCF thus far, as the sophomore has played all 630 minutes in net for the Knights. The Valencia, Spain, native enters UCF’s Friday match ranking within the top seven in the Sun Belt in goals-against average (1.143, 6th), saves per game (3.43, 6th) and save percentage (.750, 7th).
In Kentucky, the Knights face a team that has endured a disappointing start to the 2023 campaign relative to preseason expectations. The Wildcats, picked to finish first in the Sun Belt’s 2023 Preseason Poll on the strength of six of 10 total first-place votes, have played to a 3-5-0 record through their first eight matches, including an 0-2-0 mark in conference play.
A Kentucky team that began the season as the No. 3 squad in the nation according to the United Soccer Coaches poll has since fallen out of the rankings completely after failing to score in each of its previous three matches. The Wildcats’ last goal came in the 77th minute of their 3-2 victory over Lipscomb Sept. 8, running up a 283-minute, 38-second scoring drought entering play Friday.
Through eight matches, junior forward Logan Dorsey represents the team’s leading scorer, netting a trio of goals for a total of six points on nine total shot attempts, including four on goal.
Goalkeeper Casper Mols, voted Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, had started the Wildcats’ first seven matches, recording a .725 save percentage accompanied by a 1.57 goals-against average in his 630 minutes of play, but Kentucky opted for sophomore Ryan Jack to handle its most recent match at Old Dominion Sept. 24. The South Riding, Virginia, native allowed one goal on two opposing shots on target in his season debut.
Kickoff for the match is slated for 5 p.m. Friday from the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Kentucky.
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