ORLANDO – The 13th-ranked UCF women’s soccer team will put its unbeaten record on the line on Thursday when it travels to Miami to face in-state foe FIU.
The Sunshine State contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. at FIU Soccer Stadium. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will be available by visiting UCF.StatBroadcast.com.
The Knights moved up a spot to No. 13 in this week’s IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll and 20th in the latest Top Drawer Soccer rankings. The Black and Gold are a perfect 4-0-0 on the campaign and most recently defeated UAB at home last Thursday by a score of 3-1.
Senior forward Naomi Clark led the way for UCF in the UAB match by scoring all three goals to record her first career hat trick.
The senior striker Clark didn’t waste any time getting things going by finding the back of the net just 27 seconds into the contest to give the Knights an early 1-0 lead. The Blazers struck back with a goal of their own in the 14th minute, as the game remained tied into the break.
With the contest all knotted up with just 20 minutes remaining, Clark then collected a deflected ball at the top of the box and delivered a strike for what proved to be the game-winner in the 71st minute. She capped the historic night by tallying her third goal in the 79th minute off a corner kick and assists from Carli Crews and Sophia May.
The Black and Gold defense also had a strong performance in the contest by allowing just five total shots and two on frame.
UCF sophomore goalkeeper Ansley Ittel recorded her third victory of the season to move to an unblemished 3-0-0 after recording one save and allowing just one goal.
SEASON LEADERS
With the hat trick last Thursday, senior Naomi Clark has now scored six goals in just four matches to lead the squad and the Big 12 Conference in that category. She also paces the team in points (14), shots (16) and shots on goal (10). The senior also fronts the nation in both goals per game (1.50) and points per game (3.50). Junior midfielder Ainsley Moy leads the team in assists with three, while Kaïna Cesar fronts the squad with five saves in goal and Ansley Ittel, who has started the last three games, is right behind her with four.
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 Wednesday after notching her first career hat trick in UCF’s win over UAB last week. The conference weekly honor marked the first of the career for Clark and the first of the season for the Knights.
Three goals. One unforgettable performance! Congrats to your Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week 🏆👏
— UCF Women's Soccer (@UCF_WSoccer) September 2, 2026
🔗 https://t.co/BCBEmmqz6e pic.twitter.com/NwacS9MNbv
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 Tuesday after recording her first career hat trick last week against the Blazers. 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.
LEADING THE NATION
Transfer forward Naomi Clark continued her fantastic first impression to Knight Nation last Thursday against UAB. The Parker, Colorado, native registered all three goals in the Knights’ 3-1 win, notching her first career hat trick and UCF’s first since Sept. 30th, 2018. Clark set the early tone by scoring in the game’s 27th second, before breaking a 1-1 tie in the 71st minute with a strike to give UCF the lead. She then added some insurance with a goal in the 79th minute off a corner kick to cap off the Knight victory.
The senior’s six goals in just four games has her tied for the nation’s lead in goals per game with 1.50. When factoring in her two assists on the year, she individually leads the country in points per game at 3.50.
KNIGHTS MOVE UP IN THE TOP 25
UCF enters Thursday's match with a No. 13 ranking in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Week 3 Top 25 Poll, improving their national ranking by one spot. The Black and Gold also moved up one spot in this week's Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 Poll, coming in at 20th in the nation.
The last time UCF found itself ranked 13th in the nation was Sept. 26th, 2017. The Knights followed up that honor with dominant 5-1 and 6-0 wins over then-conference opponents Tulsa and Memphis, respectively.
When ranked, the Black and Gold hold an exceptional 81-31-9 record all-time (.707 winning percentage). When the Knights enter a road game nationally ranked, they hold a 35-15-10 mark (.667 winning percentage).
ABOUT FIU
FIU enters Thursday night’s match with a 1-2-3 record on the season. Following a 1-1 tie in their season opener at Florida Atlantic, the Panthers encountered an ACC gauntlet. In their next two games, they faced off against No. 4 Florida State at home and then No. 2 Duke in Durham, dropping both contests in shutout fashion. After a pair of ties against North Florida and FGCU, they notched their first win of the season versus Howard this past Sunday, 5-1.
The Panthers were picked to finish fifth in Conference USA this season after going 7-6-4 and 4-3-1 in league play in 2025, good enough for fifth in the conference standings. Their 2025 season ended in the CUSA tournament quarterfinals, after a close 1-0 setback to Middle Tennessee.
Midfielders Maya Maxwell and Yuzu Tanida are tied for the team lead in goals scored thus far with two apiece. The redshirt senior Maxwell is coming off an incredible performance against Howard. She scored all of her team-high and career-best six points on the season, thanks to her first career brace and two assists. Senior and 2024 CUSA All Second-Team goalkeeper Valery Restrepo leads the Panthers with 21 saves in 540 minutes on the season.
FIU is led by head coach Mat Dunn, who has posted an 8-8-7 record in two seasons with the squad. He previously served as head coach at Keiser University, where he went 245-42-17 in 14 seasons, winning back-to-back NAIA National Championships in 2019 and 2020.
ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY VS. FIU
Thursday's match will mark the 37th all-time meeting between the Knights and Panthers. UCF will enter play holding to a 29-5-2 series advantage and having won nine of the last 10 meetings with the lone loss during the stretch coming last season in Orlando. The Knights will also enter with a 12-1-2 all-time record at FIU.
UNDEFEATED AGAINST SUNSHINE STATE FOES
UCF will enter Thursday’s match a perfect 2-0 on the season versus Sunshine State opponents with wins over Florida and South 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. UCF will play a total of four in-state opponents this year.
The Black and Gold are currently the highest ranked team in the Sunshine State by checking in at No. 13 this week. The defending national champion Florida State Seminoles are currently No. 15 while Florida is ranked 21st.
The Knights capped non-conference play a season ago with a solid 4-1-0 record against Sunshine State foes. The Black and Gold recorded home wins over Florida Atlantic (3-1) and South Florida (4-1) in 2025, and picked up road wins at Florida (1-0) and North Florida (2-0). UCF's only in-state loss came to FIU at home.
BEST START AT THE DI LEVEL (A SEASON AGO)
The Knights began the 2025 season with an unblemished 5-0-0 start. The 5-0 record marked the Black and Gold’s best start to a season in program history at the NCAA Division I level and the best since the program's inaugural season of competition in 1981 when UCF opened a perfect 7-0. A win on Thursday would match the Black and Gold’s best start to a season at the Division I level.
UCF opened 2025 with a 2-1 victory on the road at UAB and followed it up with a trio of home wins over Florida Atlantic (3-1), South Florida (4-1) and LSU (2-1). The Knights then defeated their second straight SEC foe on Aug. 28 with a 1-0 shutout victory at Florida.
At 12-4-5, the Knights posted their best season record since 2017 when the team achieved a 13-2-3 clip.
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.
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.
UP NEXT
Following Thursday’s match, the Knights will remain on the road as they’ll travel to Providence, Rhode Island, to face Ivy League foe Brown University on Sunday at noon. UCF will then close non-conference play on Thursday, Sept. 10 when North Florida visits the UCF Soccer Complex.
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.