ORLANDO – The UCF women’s soccer team will hit the road this weekend for a Sunday evening contest at Florida.
The in-state matchup is set for 6 p.m. at UF’s Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The match will air live on SEC Network+ and live stats can also be followed by visiting UCF.Statbroadcast.com.
The Knights will enter the match will a 1-0-1 record on the young season. After defeating fellow in-state foe Florida Atlantic, 5-1, in the season opener on the road on Aug. 15, the Black and Gold recorded a 1-1 draw against Utah Valley in UCF’s 2024 home opener on Thursday.
After 80 scoreless minutes of action on Thursday against UVU, the Wolverines—who are currently receiving votes for this week’s United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll—managed to break through with a goal in the 81st minute to take a 1-0 advantage. The Black and Gold responded just a few minutes later, however, as senior Chloe Netzel evened the score in the 85th minute with a left-footed strike.
Approaching five minutes remaining in the match, Mia Asenjo fed a ball back to freshman Guta Franke near midfield and Franke managed to lift a pass over the defense all the way to the top of the box to find Netzel for the game-tying goal.
The Knights went on to get off three more shots in the final minutes, but the match would go on to end in the 1-1 draw.
Overall, UCF outshot Utah Valley 24-17 on the night and 9-5 in shots on target.
SEASON LEADERS
The Preseason All-Big 12 honoree Netzel leads the Black and Gold on the season in goals scored with three through just two matches of action. She is also tops on the squad in points with seven. A trio of Knights are tied atop the squad in assists, as Franke, Honoka Hamano and Emily Thompson all have two apiece. Freshman keeper Sami Lipcon leads the way in goal with eight saves over the first two matches.
ABOUT FLORIDA
The Gators will enter Sunday with a 1-0-1 record after defeating Western Carolina 2-0 in their season opener on Aug. 16 as well as recording a scoreless draw at North Florida last night. UF went 6-5-6 overall last season and 2-4-4 in SEC play to finish 13th in the league standings in 2023. Florida was picked to finish 13th again this season in the 2024 SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Delaney Tellex and Madison Young lead the way for UF on the young season in goals scored with one apiece. A trio of Gators are tied atop the team lead in assists with one in Njeri Buttts, Lauren McCloskey and Delaney Tauzel. Tauzel, Lena Bailey, Josie Curtis, Alexa Goldberg and Daviana Vaka all earned SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist honors prior to the season.
Florida is led by head coach Samantha Bohon, who is in her third season at the helm in Gainesville.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FLORIDA
Sunday’s contest will mark the 26th all-time meeting between UCF and UF. Florida will enter the match with a 14-10-1 series advantage and a 9-6-1 mark with contests played in Gainesville. The Knights will enter Sunday having won four consecutive matches over the Gators as well as the last two played in Gainesville. During the last four meetings, UCF has outscored UF by an impressive tally of 10-0.
GUTA FRANKE AND GENESIS PEREZ WATSON TO TAKE PART AT THE 2024 FIFA U20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
UCF has a pair of players that will represent their home nations at the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup that will be held in Colombia. Freshman defender Guta Franke has been named a member of Brazil’s 2024 U20 squad, while redshirt freshman goalkeeper Genesis Perez Watson will play for Costa Rica. The 2024 U20 Women’s World Cup will get underway on Aug. 31 and will go through Sept. 22. Franke and Brazil’s first match is set for Aug. 31 against Fiji in Medellin, while Perez Watson and Costa Rica will get underway on Sept. 2 against the Netherlands in Cali.
UP NEXT
Following Sunday’s match at Florida, the Black and Gold will return home to welcome No. 16 Georgia to town on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. The contest will mark Senior Knight for UCF, as six Knights will be honored prior to the start of the match in Annika Huhta, Taylor Jacobson, Caitlyn Matthews, Chloe Netzel, Lizah Pistorio, and Kyleigh Thelen.
Heading to Gainesville to face the Gators on Sunday ⚽ pic.twitter.com/gjaV33A0o5
— UCF Women's Soccer (@UCF_WSoccer) August 23, 2024