TAMPA, Fla. – Tyra Eriksen and Naomi Clark each found the back of the net in the first half and the defense blanked South Florida to lead UCF women’s soccer to a 2-0 shutout over rival USF on Sunday evening at Corbett Stadium.
The Knights controlled the contest from start to finish by outshooting the Bulls 17-3 to move to 3-0-0 on the season. South Florida dropped to 0-3-0 with the setback.
“I’m really proud of our team for sticking together,” UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “We played a lot of players tonight, and it truly took a total team effort to win. I credit our team’s unity and commitment to one another for the way we played.”
The Black and Gold were on the attack from the jump, as Ainsley Moy had a near chance in the early stages and Clark had the game’s first shot on goal in the 13th minute.
The Knights broke through in the 23rd minute when the sophomore Eriksen found the back of the net when a ball was headed her way from a USF defender at the top of the box. Eriksen quickly collected the ball and drove it home with the left foot for her first goal of the season.
23' | Tyra Eriksen gives us the lead 🤩 pic.twitter.com/poPnDM4zAy
— UCF Women's Soccer (@UCF_WSoccer) August 23, 2026
With UCF’s offense continuing to put the pressure on, the senior Clark delivered a strike in the 28th minute for her third goal of the season. Moy started the sequence as she fed the ball ahead to Eriksen on the left side and Eriksen found Clark open at the top of the box. Clark did the rest with some fancy footwork for the goal. Both Moy and Eriksen collected assists on the play.
28' | Naomi Clark buries her 3rd goal of the season 👊 pic.twitter.com/I395ycStX9
— UCF Women's Soccer (@UCF_WSoccer) August 23, 2026
The Knights outshot the Bulls 10-1 in the first half on their way to taking a 2-0 lead into the break.
The Black and Gold continued to be the aggressors in the second half with a flurry of shots over the next 45 minutes. Clark and Moy both had shots on goal in the second half, while UCF had another one hit off the post. The Bulls would get off a couple of shots in the second half but just one on target.
In her second start in the Black and Gold uniform, sophomore keeper Ansley Ittel recorded her first clean sheet as a Knight. Ittel played well all night and recorded one save on her way to moving to 2-0-0 on the year.
“Ansley has been great for us. She’s had to step into a role that she might not have been expecting but she’s been amazing in both matches,” Roberts Sahaydak added. “She’s stepped in and played back-to-back 90-minute outings and got her first shutout. We’re really excited about her and her attitude, and she’s just going to keep growing.”
Besides outshooting USF 17-3 in the contest, UCF also outshot the Bulls 7-1 on frame en route to recording the in-state victory.
“We have a lot of weapons on our front line, and credit goes to Tyra and Naomi for finishing their chances and putting a couple of goals away,” Roberts Sahaydak added. “When you play on Thursday and Sunday, you have to rely on your team's depth. I think our depth is one of our greatest strengths, and it will be a key factor for us throughout the season.”
With the victory, UCF has now won four of its last five meetings against the Bulls. The Knights also move to a perfect 2-0 against Sunshine State opponents on the season with the victory.
UP NEXT
The Knights will now return home to host UAB on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex. Following Thursday’s contest, UCF will hit the road the following week for matches at FIU (Sept. 3) and Brown (Sept. 6).
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.
Dominated from start to finish 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/9TZeWGuCRU
— UCF Women's Soccer (@UCF_WSoccer) August 24, 2026