ORLANDO – It was all tricks and no treats for the Cincinnati Bearcats at the UCF Soccer Complex Thursday evening.
The Knights, debuting the program’s new Halloween-inspired ‘Fright Mode’ kits in honor of the team’s 2026 Fright Night, left nothing to fear for the home faithful in their most recent effort, besting the Bearcats in shutout fashion, 3-0.
“It’s hard for me to call it peaking right now, I just want to keep getting better,” said head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak. “With every game, I want to keep improving. Within the game, I thought we improved a lot from the first half to the second half. If we can keep winning and, with every game, learn something new about ourselves and keep getting better, that’s the goal.”
The effort represented UCF’s fifth consecutive win, clinching the program’s first five-match win streak since the squad started the 2025 campaign 5-0, as well as the first five-game win streak entirely within Big 12 Conference play in program history.
The Knights’ latest triumph also secured the program’s 10th win of the season, a result that clinched the team’s second straight 10-plus win slate and third such season in UCF’s four years as a member of the Big 12 Conference thus far.
Led by none other than Naomi Clark, the Black and Gold enjoyed another fast start to the contest and seized match’s early momentum. The senior forward, darting down the middle of the pitch toward the 18-yard box, received a feed from junior Ainsley Moy and beat two Cincinnati defenders before sending a quick, one-touch strike past the Bearcat goalkeeper.
The goal, officially 4:59 into the affairs, represented Clarks’ second goal within the first five minutes of a match this season, joining her game-opening tally against UAB Aug. 27 that came just 27 seconds in.
Her score also lifted her atop the Big 12 Conference in total goals, as Clark now stands alone atop the league with 11 through the season’s first 14 games, and she has now scored in consecutive games on three different occasions this year (Aug. 23-27, vs. South Florida and UAB; Sept. 17-24, vs. Texas Tech, at BYU; Oct. 16-22, at West Virginia, vs. Cincinnati).
Clark also notched her third game-winning goal of the season and seventh of her career, and sits one shy of the season high four game-winners she tallied in her lone season with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2025.
“It’s awesome, but I just take it game-by-game,” Clark said. “I can get sucked into a lot of that stuff. It’s cool looking at it, but at the same time, I’m just trying to come out and play my game, not thinking about how many goals I need to score. I’m just trying to stay present with my team.”
The Knights later added two more second half insurance scores, the first coming in the 69th minute courtesy of Katsi Bengoa, and the second just over two minutes later by Gabi Berchon.
Bengoa’s score marked her second of the season and the second of her collegiate career overall, giving the junior midfielder her first career multi-goal campaign.
Berchon, meanwhile, netted her second goal of the fall and her first since UCF’s season-opening 4-3 win over the Florida Gators in Orlando Aug. 13. The Brazilian midfielder needs just one more to tie her previous season high she set during her debut season with the Knights in 2025.
Defensively, the Knights produced one of their strongest efforts yet, notching their fifth clean sheet of the season and second in a row dating back to their 1-0 victory over the Mountaineers in Morgantown Oct. 16.
UCF also allowed just a single shot on goal in a match for the second time this season, joining the squad’s 2-0 win over South Florida in Tampa Aug. 23.
In clinching back-to-back clean sheets, the Knights have blanked consecutive opponents for the first time since the team played to two straight scoreless draws with Kansas State and Cincinnati Oct. 5 and Oct. 12, 2025. The Black and Gold have also recorded defensive clean sheets in both of their last two matchups against Cincinnati, and have shut out the Bearcats in four of the teams’ last five meetings overall.
UP NEXT
The Knights look to clinch their sixth straight win in their next outing Sunday afternoon, when the squad will welcome the Houston Cougars to Orlando. Opening kick is set for 1 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.