ORLANDO – A season ago, UCF leaned on the offensive production of standout French striker Lilian Ricol.
The winner of the Sun Belt Conference’s 2025 Newcomer of the Year award, Ricol provided a consistent offensive threat throughout the fall slate, notably netting a brace in the Knights’ 3-1 win over third-seeded Marshall in the conference tournament championship match to help the squad clinch its first Sun Belt title.
With his end-of-season departure for the professional ranks, questions arose as to whom would take the next step to help replace Ricol’s team-best 13 goals.
Redshirt junior forward Drew Hansen has provided an emphatic answer.
“When you behave and work like Drew does, and when you’re intentional, it’s hard not to get better,” said head coach Scott Calabrese. “What you’re seeing is the continuous growth in Drew as a player.”
The Cleveland, North Carolina native, already the winner of the league’s last two Offensive Player of the Week awards, made his bid for a third straight in UCF’s latest victory, scoring two of the Knights’ five goals to lead the Black and Gold to a convincing 5-1 win over the visiting Georgia State Panthers in UCF’s regular-season home finale Oct. 29.
The victory represented UCF’s eighth of the fall in the program’s penultimate regular-season tilt, as well as the squad’s third triumph in its last four games and fourth in its last six. The Knights also jumped up to fourth place in the Sun Belt table with their 4-3-1 record against league opponents, and they trail just West Virginia, Marshall and James Madison with 13 points and one to play in the regular season.
“It started as well as it could,” Calabrese continued. “We pressed them, we took control of the game. The guys were flying right from the get-go. We scored two or three really quickly, and we were playing at a really high level with the ball.”
In notching two more goals Thursday evening, Hansen pushed his already Sun Belt-leading goal total to 11 and clinched his first career 10-plus goal season, his fourth brace of the year and his second straight game with two scores.
The forward also moved into a tie for tops in the Sun Belt Conference with his fourth game-winning goal of the season, a mark accomplished in the league only by Hansen and Georgia Southern’s Broden Beorlegui.
“The team showed up really well,” Hansen said. “It didn’t take Joachim long to score, but we started the game super well and when you come out with that type of energy and the form that our whole group was in, I’m just super happy and I thank God for the opportunity to play. I’m grateful that it’s such a good group and it’s so fun to play here at home.”
Indeed, it was sophomore midfielder Joachim Kyei who gave the Black and Gold a quick offensive jolt, netting his second career Division I goal in just the third minute of action on an incredible strike from his position nearly in line with the goalmouth.
With the tally, officially 2:24 into the evening’s affairs, Kyei recorded UCF’s fastest goal scored since 2023 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Saku Heiskanen broke the ice just 66 seconds into the Knights’ NCAA Tournament second-round matchup with Vermont Nov. 19, 2023.
Hansen then scored UCF’s next two tallies, one in the 21st minute and another in the 27th minute, before junior defender Germán Moreno found the back of the net in the 31st minute to clinch his first career Division I goal.
The four first-half scores ensured UCF its fourth game of the campaign with at least four goals, as well as the team’s second four-goal half of the season, joining the team’s 5-1 triumph over Old Dominion Oct. 17.
“You’re seeing different players come into form right now,” Calabrese added. “You see Leny as a right back get his groove. Izán started really well, and Drew’s hit great form right now. The way he leads our press as well, he does so much for us out of possession. Joey was excellent as a six when he went into that position.”
Freshman forward Alex Partera then netted UCF’s fifth of the night in the 84th minute, a score that also marked his third of the year, to punctuate the Black and Gold’s offensive exploits.
Defensively, the Knights turned in another dominant effort, surrendering only the Panthers’ single tally in the 89th minute of play. With just one score allowed, the Knights held their opposition to one or fewer goals for the 11th time in their first 15 matches this fall.
UP NEXT
UCF concludes the 2026 regular season Tuesday, Nov. 3 with a road matchup in Statesboro, Georgia, against the Georgia Southern Eagles. Opening kick is set for 7 p.m. 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.