Women’s Soccer to Open Season Thursday at UABWomen’s Soccer to Open Season Thursday at UAB

Women’s Soccer to Open Season Thursday at UAB

by James Warnick

ORLANDO – The UCF women’s soccer team will officially open its 2025 season on Thursday night at UAB.

The season-opening contest for both teams is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT from UAB’s PNC Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The match will air live on ESPN+ and live stats will be available by visiting UCF.Statbroadcast.com.

“I’m really looking forward to the season. We have a brand-new team with 12 new players on the roster. But we also have a number of players returning that hold the experience and the knowledge from having played in our system,” head UCF coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “Ultimately, I’m a really proud coach because we’ve really gone to work since January. The players that we’ve added have really gelled. They love playing together, and they love training. To be able to coach a team with the attitude that they have is a dream.”

The Knights will enter Thursday’s opener off a 3-6-6 record a year ago and a 1-5-4 conference mark. The Black and Gold were recently picked to finish 12th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll. The 2025 campaign will mark UCF’s third season of competition in the Big 12. The Knights posted a sixth-place finish in their first season of competition in the new league in 2023 with a 10-7-1 overall record and a 5-4-1 league clip.

Head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak is back for her 13th season at the helm of UCF women’s soccer. Roberts Sahaydak is an Olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion and two-time NCAA champion. She is also a four-time conference coach of the year and has led the Knights to five NCAA Tournament appearances during her time in Orlando.

The Knights welcome back six starters as well as 13 returning letterwinners from last season’s team. The Black and Gold will also look to mix in a total of 12 newcomers to the fold with eight incoming transfers and four true freshmen.

Of the incoming transfers, five are seniors in Hannah Boughton (M, Baylor), Haylee Merserau (D, Pitt), Payton Patrick (F, Charlotte), Rajanah Reed (F, Washington State) and Liz Worden (F, Long Beach State); one is a junior in Brianne MacDonald (GK, Dalhousie Univ.); one is a sophomore in Ainsley Moy (M, TCU); and one is a redshirt freshman in Camryn Szotak (D, South Carolina). The freshmen include Kalena Bellini (F/D, Lehi, Utah), Tyra Eriksen (F/D, Umea, Sweden), Natalie Leon (D, San Clemente, Calif.), and Sophia May (M, Chula Vista, Calif.).

The Knights welcome back six returning starters from the 2024 squad and a total of 13 returning letterwinners. Of the starting group, redshirt sophomore keeper Genesis Perez Watson is back along with defenders Kayla Chatman-Haggerty (5th Yr.), Guta Franke (So.), and Jada Silvest (So.), midfielder Honoka Hamano (Jr.), and forward Edidiong Etim (So.).

Fellow other returning letterwinners include keeper Sami Lipcon (So.), defenders Audrey Buck (RJr.), Jessica McCullen (Jr.) and Brooke Mulroney (RJr.), midfielders Katsi Bengoa (So.), Ella Holloran (So.) and Maria Tregansin (RJr.).

The Knights welcome back six returning starters from the 2024 squad and a total of 13 returning letterwinners. Of the starting group, defenders Kayla Chatman-Haggerty (5th Yr.), Guta Franke (So.), and Jada Silvest (So.), midfielder Honoka Hamano (Jr.), forward Edidiong Etim (So.), and keepers Genesis Perez Watson (RSo.) and Sami Lipcon (So.), who split time in goal a season ago.

Other returning letterwinners include defenders Audrey Buck (RJr.), Jessica McCullen (Jr.) and Brooke Mulroney (RJr.), midfielders Katsi Bengoa (So.), Ella Holloran (So.) and Maria Tregansin (RJr.).

“I think this is the best depth that we’ve ever had at UCF. In the past, you see a typical starting lineup and you kind of get used to the same players starting. I think this year could be different. I feel that we have a lot more than 11 starters on our team. I think that’s how you win a championship by having more like 15 to 20 starters. I feel that we have really good balance among the lines, and it will bring healthy competition within the team. So, I’m really excited about our depth.”

UCF ON OPENING KNIGHT UNDER ROBERTS SAHAYDAK
UCF will enter Thursday's season opener having won five straight Opening Knight contests, with its last season-opening loss coming in 2019 to No. 16 Wisconsin. During the stretch, the Black and Gold have defeated Florida Atlantic (5-1), Purdue (1-0), Florida (3-0), Texas (4-0) and Temple (3-0). The Knights have also outscored the opposition an impressive 16-1 over their last five season openers and have shut out four of the five opponents.

Under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, the Knights hold a 7-5-0 record in season openers. UCF holds wins over FAU (5-1), Purdue (1-0), Florida (3-0), Texas (4-0), Temple (3-0), Miami (2-1) and Washington (3-0). Over the last 12 season openers, the Black and Gold have outscored their opponents 22-11, as they have doubled up their opposition.

ABOUT UAB
The Blazers will enter the 2025 season off a 7-5-5 record from a season ago and a fifth-place finish in the American Conference standings with a 4-2-4 league mark. UAB was recently picked to finish seventh in the American Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll this year. The Blazers had their 2024 season come to a close in the quarterfinals of the American Conference Championship in a 2-0 setback to Rice last November.

UAB is led by midfielder Abbey Burns, who scored a team-best seven goals last year. Burns, who earned First Team All-AAC accolades a season ago, was recently named to the American Conference’s Preseason Watch List. Fellow returners Jette Zimmer and Louise Larsson were also tabbed to the American Conference Preseason Watch List after Zimmer earned All-AAC Second Team accolades in 2024, and Larsson was tabbed to the league’s All-Freshman Team. In all, UAB welcomes back 16 players from last year’s squad as well as welcomes 11 newcomers to the team this fall.

ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY
Former conference mates in Conference USA, Thursday’s opener will mark the 12th all-time meeting between the Knights and Blazers but the first under Roberts Sahaydak. UCF will enter the contest holding a 7-3-1 all-time series advantage over UAB. The two met 11 times against one another from 2004-2012 and the Knights pulled out seven of the 11 contests. UCF is 3-2-1 in Birmingham and has won five straight over the Blazers.

O CAPTAIN, OUR CAPTAIN
Redshirt junior midfielder Maria Tregansin has been named UCF's team captain for the 2025 campaign. Tregansin is in her fifth year with the program and had a solid season a year ago in which she played in 13 matches and started four of them. She notched a career-high three assists in 2024 with two coming against Arizona and one against Cincinnati. Tregansin was named to the 2024 Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team and is a true team leader for the Knights both on the field as well as behind the scenes.

UP NEXT FOR UCF
Following Thursday’s opener, the Knights will return to the UCF Soccer Complex for their 2025 home opener on Sunday against Florida Atlantic. The match will mark the first of three straight home matches for the Knights. The Black and Gold will welcome South Florida to town on Aug. 21 and LSU on Aug. 24 to conclude the homestand. 

TICKETS
UCF women’s soccer season and single-game tickets are on sale now. Please visit ucfknights.com/tickets for more information or call the ticket office at (407) 823-1000.

ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.