ORLANDO – The UCF men’s soccer team is set to host the Kentucky Wildcats after its second clean sheet of the season and a 2-0 win over Old Dominion Oct. 18.
The team donned its Canaveral blue SpaceU kits for the second time this season, marking its fourth space game win in its last five opportunities since 2023. Each time the men’s team sported Canaveral blue they have scored at least two goals. The Citronauts have also only allowed five total goals for the last five space games.
In the last three space games, the ‘Nauts have scored within the first six minutes of each game. Lucca Dourado scored in the sixth minute against Old Dominion Friday night, Emmanuel Bam scored in the fifth minute against UC Irvine Sept. 6, and Saku Heiskanen scored in the second minute against Vermont Nov. 19, 2023. In four out of five space games, the Citronauts scored first within the first half.
The return of Dourado and goalkeeper Juanvi Muñoz led the ‘Nauts to their second conference win. Muñoz’s two saves contributed to his first shutout of the year and sixth of his career. Dourado netted his second goal of the year which makes him one away from his 40th career goal.
Dourado is currently tied for fifth on the UCF all-time career goals scored list with 39, behind Cal Jennings’ 46 (2016-19), Ari Nurmi’s 47 (1996-99), Randy DeShield’s 56 (1976-79) and Heikki Ritvanen’s 88 (1996-99). With his next goal, Dourado would become the fifth player in program history to eclipse the 40 career goals plateau.
UCF (4-4-3, 2-3-0 SBC) had an early goal in the 6th minute by Dourado with an assist from Ousmane Ba, marking Ba’s first assist of his career. In the 89th minute, Mouhamed Pouye found the back of the net, scoring his first collegiate goal. Pouye was assisted by Anderson Rosa which marks Rosa’s fourth assist of the year tying a season-high in assists.
Rosa has assisted three players with their first collegiate goal during the 2024 campaign. He assisted Drew Hansen against then-No. 23 Seattle Aug. 25, Carlos Rojas against UC Irvine and Pouye against Old Dominion. Rosa also assisted Alex Smith against Georgia State Sept. 29 for his first goal of the season and first goal as a Knight.
Sora Funakoshi against Wake Forest and Jonas Fritschi against FIU join Pouye in scoring their first collegiate goals this fall as well.
With Muñoz’s sixth career shutout, his goals-against average drops to 1.25. He entered the season ranking tenth on the UCF all-time goals-against average list (1.29) in program history.
The last time the Knights and the Wildcats met, the Knights won 1-0 on Sept. 29, 2023, representing UCF’s third win over Kentucky in the last three meetings between the programs. Muñoz tallied three saves and recorded his third shutout of his career. Saku Heiskanen scored the only goal in the 22nd minute, en route to later earning Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year honors.
The Wildcats are coming off a 2-0 conference loss against James Madison and enter Wednesday’s action 3-4-5 overall and 2-1-2 in conference play.
Kentucky, ranked as high as No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches’ week two poll, notably played to a 0-0 draw with the then-No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers in its second conference tilt this fall. Wildcats goalie Ryan Jack had three saves during this game marking his second career shutout.
Jack is in his third season and has started the last seven games, recording four shutouts and a season total of 22 saves.
Senior forward Logan Dorsey has tallied three goals in his last five games making him Kentucky’s leading goal-scorer with four total goals on the season.
Kickoff for the match is set for 7 p.m. from the UCF Soccer Complex on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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