ORLANDO – On the heels of its narrow one-goal loss to the then-No. 7 West Virginia Mountaineers Saturday, the UCF men’s soccer team will look to bounce back in its return to Orlando, kicking off a three-match homestand against the No. 5 Marshall Thundering Herd Sunday, Oct. 13.
Originally scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11, the match was postponed to Sunday evening out of an abundance of caution for the effects of Hurricane Milton.
Though the Black and Gold (3-3-3, 1-2-0 SBC) emerged on the wrong end of a 2-1 score in Morgantown Saturday evening, the team still produced its eighth contest out of its first nine this fall with two or fewer goals allowed, good for a 1.44 season goals-against average.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Shane Wright again played a key role in the Knights’ defensive efforts, yielding two or fewer goals for the sixth time in his first seven collegiate starts. The Orlando native’s 1.57 goals-against average ranks ninth in the Sun Belt Conference entering Sunday’s action, and with four more saves against West Virginia pushed his season total to 24, equating to a 3.43 saves per game total that ranks fourth highest in the conference.
Offensively, UCF answered an early sixth-minute Mountaineers goal with a score by Emmanuel Bam in the 21st minute. The senior forward, positioned on the near side of the goal, deflected a pass from junior Clarence Awoudor past the West Virginia keeper and into the far side of the net for his fourth goal of the season, tying his previous season high set a year ago.
With his goal, Bam’s four scores and two assists pulled him into a tie for the team lead in total points, 10, with Awoudor, who brings three goals and four assists into Sunday’s match. Bam also now leads his team and ranks tied for fifth in the conference with his four goals. Awoudor and senior Javier López Sánchez were both credited with assists on the scoring play as well.
Awoudor’s fourth assist, meanwhile, pulled the Saint-Lo, France, native into a tie for second in the Sun Belt with four total assists and 0.44 assists per game, marks that also rank tied for 46th in the nation.
In meeting the Thundering Herd (7-1-2, 2-0-1 SBC) for the second time as conference mates this weekend, UCF will look to build upon an all-time 7-4-1 lead in the series between the two programs. The Knights play host for Marshall Sunday after falling by a slim 1-0 final score in the teams’ last meeting in Huntington, West Virginia, Sept. 23, 2023, a result that snapped UCF’s five-match win streak against the Herd.
The contest also represents the fourth this season that sees the Black and Gold square off against a ranked opponent, as well as the second against a top 10 ranked foe. UCF has produced a 0-2-1 record against ranked programs this season, playing to a 1-1 draw with the then-No. 23 Seattle Redhawks Aug. 25 before falling to then-No. 21 James Madison, 2-0, Sept. 21 and then-No. 6 West Virginia, 2-1, Oct. 5.
Marshall this season is unbeaten in its two games against ranked teams, having bested then-No. 22 VCU by a 1-0 final score Sept. 25 before it battled back from a 2-0 second-half deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with then-No. 10 James Madison in its most recent match Oct. 4.
Redshirt sophomore Marco Silva, the Herd’s second-leading scorer behind Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos, scored in the 70th minute to halve Marshall’s deficit to the Dukes before sophomore Joao Roberto tied the game in the 87th minute of action to help secure a point in the Sun Belt table.
Rodrigues dos Santos enters play Sunday as Marshall’s leading scorer with 10 points (four goals, two assists), followed by Silva’s nine points (four goals, one assist). Together, they have aided the Herd in collectively ranking among Sun Belt leaders in a handful of categories through its nine matches, including goals per game (2.10, 2nd SBC, 26th NCAA), assists per game (1.80, 3rd SBC, 44th NCAA), goal differential (+13, 3rd SBC, 15th NCAA) and points per game (6.00, 3rd SBC, 35th NCAA).
On the other end of the pitch, Marshall has split its goaltending duties between junior Aleksa Janjic and redshirt freshman Dan Rose, with both accruing 450 minutes in five appearances. The duo have both made 11 saves in their respective time on the field, with Janjic holding the edge in fewest goals allowed (3) and save percentage (.786) over Rose’s five and .688, respectively.
Kickoff for the match is slated for 5 p.m. from the UCF Soccer Complex and will be streamed on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF men’s soccer on X (@UCF_MSoccer), Instagram (@UCF.MSoccer) and Facebook (/UCFMensSoccer).
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite teams by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android devices. The app provides personalized information for men’s and women’s teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and breaking news. Click here to download the app now.