ORLANDO – On the heels of its season long three-game road swing, the UCF men’s soccer team is set to return home for its Sun Belt Conference home-opener against the Kentucky Wildcats Sunday evening.
The Knights bring a 4-2-2 overall record back home this weekend, but are looking to get back on track after suffering a 1-0 defeat to James Madison on the road to begin Sun Belt Conference play Sept. 18 and playing to a 1-1 draw with the Stetson Hatters in DeLand in their most recent action Sept. 22.
The Black and Gold took an early 1-0 lead over Stetson in the contest’s 13th minute, courtesy of redshirt senior Joey Mueller’s first goal of the fall. The score represented his fourth career goal, ensuring the St. John’s County, Florida, native at least one score in each of the last three seasons.
Stetson battled back for an equalizer just after the second half’s commencement, though, and UCF was unable to break through for a game-winner.
Despite the draw, the Knights’ defensive corps turned in another sterling performance, limiting the Hatters to their lone goal on the evening.
The contest represented the seventh of UCF’s first eight this season that has seen the Knights’ opposition fail to net more than one goal, and the Knights enter play Sunday ranking among Sun Belt Conference leaders in shutout percentage (.625, 1st), team goals-against average (.750, 2nd) and save percentage (.778, 2nd).
Junior goalkeeper Matisse Hébert has helped lead his team’s efforts on that end of the pitch, producing the second-lowest overall goals-against average in the league behind only West Virginia’s Toby Mawer (.714) and the second-highest save rate behind only Georgia State’s Jackson Burrell (.846). Hébert’s five clean sheets still lead the Sun Belt outright as well, and rank tied for first in the nation with eight other keepers.
UCF, picked to finish third in the 2026 Sun Belt preseason coaches’ poll, will also be looking to build upon its historically strong showing in Sun Belt Conference play with its first league win this season.
The Black and Gold boast an overall record north of .500 in regular-season Sun Belt action since joining the league in 2023, having gone 15-10-3 (.589) in that span, highlighted by a 2-2 draw with then-No. 4 West Virginia in Orlando Sept. 15, 2023, and a 3-0 home win over then-No. 11 Georgia Southern at home Oct. 10, 2025, before the team went on its 3-0 run through the 2025 Sun Belt Conference tournament with wins over top-seeded Kentucky and third-seeded Marshall, both on the road, Nov. 12 and 16.
The Knights, in their first meeting with Kentucky since besting the Wildcats by a 1-0 final score in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinal round in Lexington, will welcome a Kentucky squad still in search of its first win of the season, as the team has produced an 0-5-2 record through its first seven contests this fall, including an 0-1-0 mark in Sun Belt play after dropping its league opener to Marshall at home, 1-0, Sept. 18.
Kentucky is led offensively by freshman forward Costa Iliadis, whose two goals and three assists thus far have given him a team-best seven points. The Wildcats have also utilized three different keepers to this point, with freshman Benjamin Rasmussen having accrued a team high 396 minutes with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .630 save percentage.
Opening kick is set for 4 p.m. from the UCF Soccer Complex and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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 website at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.