ORLANDO – After reentering the top 25 earlier in the week, the No. 25 UCF women’s soccer team will open Big 12 Conference play with a top 25 showdown against No. 19 Texas Tech on Thursday night at the UCF Soccer Complex.
Thursday’s Big 12 opener for both teams will begin at 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available at UCF.StatBroadcast.com.
The Knights will enter Thursday’s league opener with a 5-1-0 record and having reentered the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll on Tuesday at No. 25. This marks the third week on the season that the Knights have been nationally ranked. After falling out of the polls last week and receiving votes, the Black and Gold moved up to No. 25 this week with a 1-0 win over in-state foe North Florida to conclude non-conference play.
In last Thursday’s non-conference finale against UNF, redshirt senior striker Payton Patrick buried home the lone goal of the match in 34th minute to propel the Knights to victory. Off a corner kick, Kalena Bellini played a ball ahead into the box and Ainsley Moy deflected the pass to an open Patrick who took the shot and scored in the top shelf for her second goal of the season.
The Black and Gold continued to be on the attack from there, as they outshot the Ospreys 24-7 overall and 8-2 on target on the night. Gabi Berchon had a chance to put one away in the 62nd minute, but the shot hit off the crossbar to keep it a 1-0 score.
Naomi Clark then had an opportunity for the Black and Gold in the 75th minute from the right side, but the shot ricocheted off the near post. Patrick nearly notched her second goal of the game the following minute, but her shot was saved by UNF’s Sofia Miliancano.
In her first game back from injury since the season opener, goalkeeper Kaïna Cesar earned her first shutout in a Black and Gold uniform to move to 2-0-0 on the season. Cesar saved both of UNF’s shots on target on the night.
The result moved UCF to a perfect 3-0-0 on the season versus Sunshine State opponents with wins over Florida, South Florida and North Florida. The 5-1-0 record marked UCF’s best since last season when the team too opened the year with a 5-1 mark through six matches of play.
Thursday’s Big 12 opener will mark UCF’s first of 11 scheduled conference matches on the season.
SEASON LEADERS
Senior forward Naomi Clark leads UCF offensively on the season with six goals and 14 points. Her six goals are also good enough to tie for the league lead while her point tally is the third best in the conference. Clark also tops the team in shots (23) and shots on goal (12). Junior midfielder Ainsley Moy leads the squad in assists with four. Her four assists are the third most in the Big 12. Junior goalkeeper Kaïna Cesar paces the team in goal with seven saves through just two matches of play.
CONFERENCE OPENERS UNDER ROBERTS SAHAYDAK
The Knights will enter Thursday with an 8-2-3 record in conference openers under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak and a 9-3-1 clip in home conference openers. UCF is also unbeaten in home conference openers in Big 12 play at 2-0-1, as it defeated West Viginia 4-2 in the program’s inaugural Big 12 match on Sept. 14, 2023, and followed that up with a 5-0 shutout win over Houston in the league opener in 2025 and a 0-0 draw vs. West Virginia last year.
BACK IN THE TOP 25
UCF has reentered the top 25 this week, as it will enter Big 12 Conference play ranked No. 25 in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Week 5 Top 25 Poll after being just outside the top 25 last week. This marks the third week on the season the Black and Gold have spent in the top 25, as they were previously ranked 14th on Aug. 25 and 13th on Sept. 1.
The last time UCF found itself ranked as high as 13th in the nation was the 2017 season. The Knights hold a 1-1-0 record on the season when nationally ranked, and are 81-32-19 all-time when nationally ranked and 43-14-9 while ranked at home.
Back in the Top 25 and ready for Big 12 play 📈⚽
— UCF Women's Soccer (@UCF_WSoccer) September 15, 2026
🔗 https://t.co/XRfjazJhNK pic.twitter.com/UUwtlnrHXC
RANKED VS. RANKED
Thursday’s ranked vs. ranked matchup will mark UCF’s first since Nov. 18, 2022, when it took on No. 1 UCLA in the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles. The match ended in a 1-1 tie, with the Bruins advancing on penalty kicks. UCLA would go on to win the National Championship that season.
Overall, the Knights are 2-6-1 in the Roberts Sahaydak era in ranked vs. ranked matchups. The Black and Gold notched their first ranked matchup victory during this timeframe with a 3-2 win over No. 9 Wisconsin on Nov. 21, 2014, in that season's NCAA Tournament. UCF’s most recent ranked vs. ranked win came against No. 7 Penn State on Sept. 5, 2021, thanks to a 2-1 effort in Orlando.
YOUR BIG 12 LEADER
Transfer forward Naomi Clark has continued her fantastic first impression to Knight Nation, as she’s the Big 12 leader in a number of offensive categories. The Parker, Colorado, native registered all three goals in the Knights’ 3-1 win on Aug. 27 versus UAB, notching her first career hat trick and UCF’s first since Sept. 30, 2018.
The senior’s six goals through UCF’s six games are good enough to tie for the Big 12 Conference lead. She also tops the league in goals per game with a 1.00 average and points per game (2.33). Her 14 points rank third in the league while her 3.83 shots per game average is fourth. She also ranks eighth nationally in points per game and 11th in goals per game.
ABOUT TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders will come to Orlando unbeaten on the season with a 4-0-3 overall record and currently ranked 19th on this week’s Top Drawer Soccer Poll and receiving votes for the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Poll. Texas Tech has won back-to-back matches after picking home wins over both San Diego State and Kent State last week. TTU also holds wins over Hawaii and Boise State on the season and has recorded draws against SMU, Pepperdine and Seattle U.
Tech was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 this season after taking fourth with a 7-1-3 conference record a season ago. The Red Raiders went on to qualify for their third straight NCAA Tournament in 2025 and had their tournament run come to a close in the Round of 32 after being edged in penalty kicks by North Carolina.
Two-time All-Big 12 honoree Taylor Zdrojewski leads Texas Tech offensively on the season with four goals and nine points. She also paces the team in both shots (20) and shots on goal (10). Storie Sexton is next with a pair of goals and five points, while Kylie Bahr tops the team in assists with three. Florida State transfer Addie Todd leads the way in goal with 26 saves and an .897 save percentage. Todd has started all seven games on the season for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech is coached by head coach Tom Stone. Stone, who is in his 20th season at the helm of TTU, holds a 228-108-58 record and has led the Red Raiders to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. TEXAS TECH
Thursday's Big 12 opener will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the Knights and Red Raiders and the third as conference foes. UCF will enter holding a 1-0-2 series advantage. The two played to a scoreless draw in Lubbock last year as well as a 1-1 draw in Orlando in 2023. The Black and Gold's lone victory over TTU came in 1996 at home.
NAOMI CLARK TABBED BIG 12 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior forward Naomi Clark was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 2 after notching her first career hat trick in UCF’s win over UAB. The conference weekly honor marked the first of the career for Clark and the first of the season for the Knights.
CLARK EARNS TOP DRAWER SOCCER TEAM OF THE WEEK HONORABLE MENTION HONORS
Senior forward Naomi Clark also received honorable mention Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week accolades on Sept. 1 after recording her first career hat trick against UAB. The TDS Team of the Week honor marks the second of Clark’s career, as she previously earned the recognition last August while playing for Oklahoma.
UNDEFEATED AGAINST SUNSHINE STATE FOES
UCF went a perfect 3-0 on the season versus Sunshine State opponents with wins over Florida, South Florida and North Florida. The Knights started the season with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Gators and followed that up with a 2-0 victory at USF the following week. After having a match at FIU postponed due to heavy rainfall and unplayable field conditions, UCF then capped in-state play with a 1-0 home win over UNF.
The Knights are now 7-1-0 against Sunshine State opponents over the last two years.
MAKE THAT FIVE STRAIGHT AGAINST SEC OPPONENTS
The Knights hold wins over both Florida and No. 21 LSU on the season to move their win streak over SEC opponents to five. UCF has defeated both Florida and LSU twice during the streak, as well as No. 8 Georgia at home in 2024.
The Black and Gold’s last non-victory against an opponent from the SEC was Aug. 25, 2024, when they drew with Florida in Gainesville. The Knights’ last loss to an SEC foe came on Aug. 24, 2023, at Georgia.
COACH TIFF TO REPRESENT USWNT AT 2027 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak has rejoined the U.S. Women's National Team as a current assistant coach on Emma Hayes' staff. Roberts Sahaydak has been with the USWNT a number of times during 2026, as she took part in the team's January Camp, in February for the SheBelieves Cup, in April for the April Camp (friendlies vs. Japan), and in June for the June Camp (friendlies vs. Brazil). She will remain on staff and represent her home nation at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.
As a player, Roberts Sahaydak won both Olympic Gold (1996) and the 1999 World Cup with the USWNT. She went on to earn 112 caps for her country. She also previously spent time as an assistant coach for the USWNT in 2022 and 2023 for the 2023 Women's World Cup that was held in Australia/New Zealand.
FRESHMAN DANIELA OCAMPO TO TAKE PART IN 2026 FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP
Freshman midfielder Daniela Ocampo will represent her home nation of Costa Rica at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup that will run Sept. 5-27 in Poland.
The national appearance won't be the first for Ocampo, as she previously competed for Costa Rica at both the 2024 U-20 World Cup as well as the 2025 U-17 World Cup where she was a team captain for her home nation.
MOST CURRENT PROS IN THE BIG 12
UCF women's soccer has the most current pros of any Big 12 institution with 28. Former goalkeeper Genesis Perez Watson was the latest Knight to go pro as the 2025 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree signed a professional contract with Atlético Madrid of the Spanish Liga F this summer.
Fellow 2025 All-Big 12 honorees Liz Worden and Rajanah Reed also went pro, as Worden plays for Racing Power FC of Liga BPI and Reed for Dallas Trinity FC of the USL Super League.
Flags out for International Knight 🌎⚔️ pic.twitter.com/9gV6GpcRsC
— UCF Women's Soccer (@UCF_WSoccer) September 16, 2026
UP NEXT
The Knights will continue Big 12 play by heading on the road next week for a pair of matches in the state of Utah. UCF will first face No. 23 BYU on Thursday, Sept. 24 in Provo before heading to Salt Lake City to face Utah on Sunday, Sept. 27. Following the trip, the Black and Gold will return to the UCF Soccer Complex to host No. 15/9 Colorado on Friday, Oct. 2.
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.