ORLANDO – The UCF women’s soccer team will continue a current three-match homestand by hosting Oklahoma State on Sundy afternoon at the UCF Soccer Complex.
Sunday’s matinee is set for a 12:30 p.m. start. The match will air live on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available by visiting UCF.Statbroadcast.com.
The Knights will enter the contest with a 3-5-5 overall record and a 1-4-3 Big 12 clip. With two regular season matches remaining, UCF sits in a tie for 13th place in the league standings. The top 12 teams will qualify for the 2024 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Championship that will run Oct. 30 to Nov. 9 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.
After playing five consecutive games away from home, the Black and Gold opened a three-match homestand on Thursday against No. 8 TCU. The Knights found the back of the net twice on the night, but the first-place Horned Frogs managed to pull out the contest by a score of 4-2.
With TCU holding to a 2-0 advantage at the break, UCF cut the deficit in half in the 60th minute when freshman Guta Franke scored her first collegiate goal. Annika Huhta fed a cross into the box off a corner kick and after it was headed out, but Franke was there to blast a one-touch strike into the back of the net for the goal.
The Horned Frogs then bounced back with a pair of second-half goals to extend their lead to 4-1. The Black and Gold didn’t go away from there, as Brooke Mulroney found Chloe Netzel in the box in the 86th minute and Netzel managed to sneak one in the bottom left corner to make it 4-2. The goal marked Netzel’s team-leading 10th of the season.
PEREZ WATSON TABBED BIG 12 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
UCF redshirt freshman goalkeeper Genesis Perez Watson was named the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Week on Wednesday following a 14-save performance at Colorado last Sunday. Perez Watson was key in leading the Knights to a 0-0 draw at CU by recording an impressive tally of 14 saves. The 14 saves tie for the most by any keeper in the Big 12 this season and good enough to tie for seventh in the UCF single-game record books. The shutout also marked Perez Watson’s first solo collegiate clean sheet.
NETZEL’S STELLAR SENIOR CAMPAIGN
Senior Chloe Netzel will look to continue her stellar play to her senior season on Sunday. Netzel leads the Knights in goals (10), points (21), game-winning goals (2), shots (61), and shots on goal (36). She has also recorded a trio of braces on the season. Her 10 goals have her tied for seventh most goals in the country. Nationally, Netzel leads the nation in shots on goal per game (3.00), is fourth in shots per game (5.08), and has the eighth best goals per game average (0.83). She has also scored in seven of UCF’s 13 matches on the year.
ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE
The Cowgirls will come to town with a 12-2-3 overall record and in fourth place in the Big 12 standings with a 5-2-2 league record. Oklahoma State is currently receiving votes for the most recent United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Coaches Poll and has won four straight matches has won four straight and is unbeaten in its last six games. OSU most recently defeated Iowa State, 3-0, on Thursday night at home. OK State was picked to finish eighth in the league this year after taking seventh in the Big 12 a season ago with a 12-8-0 overall record and a 5-5-0 conference clip.
Logan Heausler leads the Cowgirls on the season in goals with seven. Laudan Wilson fronts the squad in assists with eight and is tied for second in goals with five. Grace Gordon leads the way in goal with 54 saves and 11 clean sheets. Wilson earned Preseason All-Big 12 honors prior to the season for OSU along with teammate Xcaret Pineda.
Colin Carmichael is in his 20th season as Oklahoma State’s head coach and his 29th season overall in Stillwater.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. OKLAHOMA STATE
Sunday’s match will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Knights and Cowgirls. UCF will enter play with a 2-1-0 series advantage after defeating OSU in both 2015 and 2016. Oklahoma State has won the most recent contest, however, by pulling out a 2-1 result in Stillwater last season.
FRANKE AND PEREZ WATSON COMPETED AT 2024 FIFA U20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
UCF had a pair of players represent their home nations at the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup that ran Aug. 31-Sept. 22 in Colombia. Freshman defender Guta Franke played for her home country of Brazil, while redshirt freshman goalkeeper Genesis Perez Watson participated for Costa Rica. Franke started all five games for Brazil and helped her home nation go 4-1 and advance to the quarterfinal round, while Perez Watson started all three matches in goal and was a captain for Costa Rica.
UP NEXT FOR UCF
The Knights will close their 2024 regular season by hosting Cincinnati on Friday, Oct. 25. The match is set for a 6 p.m. start and will mark both the Space Game and Alumni Knight for UCF.