ORLANDO – Fresh off a prolific 5-1 victory over the Old Dominion Monarchs, the UCF men’s soccer team will be back on the road, as the squad will face off against the No. 25 West Virginia Mountaineers Wednesday evening.
The Knights had themselves quite the night on Saturday, celebrating its seven-member senior class, but also enjoyed a convincing win over one of the highest-scoring offensive teams in the nation in a Monarchs squad that entered the evening ranking within the nation’s top 10 in goals per game (2.92, 4th), points per game (8.08, 6th), and shots on goal per game (7.33, 10th).
The match remained scoreless until the last minute of the first half, when Erik Vázquez recorded his first Division I goal. This set the tone going into a final 45 minutes that saw the Black and Gold continue to ride their late-first half momentum.
Seniors Joey Mueller and Takahiro Fujita contributed to the contest, both scoring a goal. This was Muller’s second of the season, and Fujita’s fifth, pushing the latter up to fifth in the Sun Belt in overall goals per game (0.45).
Goalkeeper Matisse Hérbert, who entered the evening pacing the Sun Belt in clean sheets with six, picked up his first career assist while redshirt junior forward Drew Hansen scored both of the Knights’ final two goals within the final 10 minutes. With his second multi-goal effort of the year, Hansen now owns seven goals this fall and ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference in overall goals per game (0.58), points per game (1.25), total goals (7) and total points (15).
Hansen was also awarded his first career conference weekly honor, as he was tabbed the Sun Belt’s week nine Offensive Player of the Week, becoming the second Knight to earn a Sun Belt weekly honor this season alongside Fujita.
The Knights produced many chances on the offensive end throughout the matchup, outshooting the Mountaineers 20-7 to topple a Monarchs squad ranked as high as 13th this season in the United Soccer Coaches’ week four top 25 poll.
When the team meets the Mountaineers on Wednesday, they will be facing conference leaders in corner kicks per game (7.25) and team goals-against average (.750).
The Mountaineers’ season has been highlighted by their ability to compete with ranked opponents. West Virginia has remained in tight one-score games, recording draws against then-No. 11 South Carolina along with then-No. 21 UNC Greensboro.
The Mountaineers this season were ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation in week seven by the United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll, and head into this match with a 6-2-4 overall record through 12 matches including a 2-1-2 conference record through its first five Sun Belt matchups.
West Virginia has also enjoyed great success on its home pitch, going unbeaten with a 6-0-1 record in seven contests at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown this fall.
The Mountaineers’ spotlight shines on redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Toby Mawer and senior forward Pablo Pozos.
Mawer has played in 10 out of 12 games, leads the Sun Belt Conference in goals-against average (.700), has 17 saves and records a .708 save percentage. Pablo Pozos is another asset to the team as he leads the conference in shot attempts per game and has recorded four goals for the Mountaineers.
Opening kick is set for 7 p.m. from Morgantown Wednesday, Oct. 21, 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.