Men's Soccer to Conclude Trip at No. 6 Wake ForestMen's Soccer to Conclude Trip at No. 6 Wake Forest

Men's Soccer to Conclude Trip at No. 6 Wake Forest

by Ryan Ladika

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – On the heels of its 2025 season debut in Chapel Hill Thursday evening, the UCF men’s soccer team will conclude its campaign-opening two-match swing through North Carolina Sunday evening, squaring off against the No. 6 Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem.

Though the new-look Knights fell to the Tar Heels by a 3-1 decision to kick off the new slate, the team saw many positive aspects on which to build as it enters its first contest against a ranked opponent this fall.

A program that features 17 newcomers and 12 returners saw nine new members take the pitch together throughout the evening among 16 Knights to appear in the game, two of whom combined to score UCF’s first goal of the year.

ucf University of North Carolina Men’s Soccer v University of Central Florida Dorrance Field Chapel Hill, NC Thursday, August 21, 2025

The Black and Gold found the scoreboard first against a North Carolina team receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches preseason top 25 poll, when freshman defender Jem Hewlett’s long cross-field assist set junior forward Lilian Ricol up to fend off a Tar Heels defender on the other end and score the match’s first goal.

Ricol also became the first Knight since former Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Saku Heiskanen to score UCF’s first goal of the season as a newcomer, as Heiskanen kicked off the Black and Gold’s 2-1 comeback victory at then-No. 9 Clemson Aug. 24, 2023, with a match-tying 43rd-minute tally.

Of UCF’s eight shot attempts throughout the evening, five were registered by newcomers, including a team-high three by senior Limestone transfer Claudel N’goubou and one by both Ricol and junior Lindsey Wilson transfer Kenn Muendo.

Among the Knights returners to appear, Clarence Awoudor, Joey Mueller and Alex Smith each notched one shot attempt throughout the evening as well.

Returning senior goalkeeper Juanvi Muñoz also made a trio of first-half saves, including a highlight-reel sequence on a pair of back-to-back Tar Heels shots on goal within seconds of each other just moments after the Knights grabbed their early advantage.

UCF Sunday evening will be looking for its first road victory over a ranked ACC opponent since the aforementioned 2023 effort against the Tigers, a win that catapulted the program into the United Soccer Coaches top 25 for the remainder of the season. The Black and Gold would later become the first team in UCF Athletics history to earn a national No. 1 ranking in a regular-season poll in weeks nine and 10 of the 2023 season.

“These are the types of games we want. It’s the top of college soccer. That’s where we want to be. The challenge is these are really good opponents, and you get pushed at the level that you find out a lot about who you are. These games are big games that our players really get excited for.”

Head coach Scott Calabreseon UCF's season-opening road trip

With a win against the sixth-ranked Demon Deacons Sunday, UCF would capture its first winning result against Wake Forest in program history, just one season after the two programs played to a 1-1 draw in Orlando Aug. 31, 2024.

After the teams played a scoreless first half, former Cowley College transfer Sora Funakoshi broke the ice in the 54th minute, scoring his first career Division I goal to give UCF a second-half advantage.

Sora’s first goal as a knight, giving us a late lead!!

UCF 1, WF 0 pic.twitter.com/TG2hBNogLg

— UCF Men's Soccer (@UCF_MSoccer) September 1, 2024

Though the Demon Deacons would later knot things up again in the 77th minute, the Knights held on to clinch their first draw against Wake Forest in program history.

The Demon Deacons kicked off their season Thursday evening as well, facing off against Maryland at home, but after the teams entered the halftime break with the Terrapins holding a one-goal advantage, the remainder of the match was canceled and ruled a no-contest due to inclement weather.

The team earned its 2025 No. 6 preseason ranking after producing a 12-5-7 record throughout the 2024 slate, claiming the fourth ACC Tournament title in program history, and advancing as far as the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, its sixth Elite Eight appearance since 2015.

The No. 8 team in the NCAA’s final 2024 RPI rankings, Wake Forest was slotted sixth in the United Soccer Coaches’ 2024 final top 25 poll after going 4-0 through the ACC Tournament against Syracuse, then-No. 15 SMU, Virginia and then-No. 7 Clemson.

The squad then toppled Maryland and then-No. 7 Clemson once more through the NCAA Tournament’s second and third rounds in Winston-Salem before ultimately falling to then-No. 1 Ohio State in the fourth round, 3-0, in Columbus.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem Sunday evening and will be streamed live on ACCNX.

TICKETS
UCF men’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.