Hansen Named 2026 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Leads Group of Six Knights on All-Conference Teams

ORLANDO – As announced by the conference office Friday afternoon, the UCF men’s soccer team was well-recognized by its fellow coaching staffs around the Sun Belt Conference in the league’s end-of-season awards voting, landing one major award winner and six overall All-Conference selections.

After leading the squad to its third top three regular-season finish in four years as a member of the Sun Belt, redshirt junior forward Drew Hansen was tabbed the Sun Belt Conference’s 2026 Player of the Year, clinching the Knights’ fifth major end-of-season superlative since joining the league prior to the 2023 season.

Hansen and defenders Gwendal Degorce and Takahiro Fujita were all awarded selections to the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team, and forward Alex Partera, midfielder Younes Boudinar and goalkeeper Matisse Hébert garnered selections to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team as well.

DREW HANSEN (F) – SUN BELT PLAYER OF THE YEAR; ALL-SUN BELT FIRST TEAM

With his selection as the Sun Belt’s 2026 Player of the Year, Hansen joins Lilian Ricol (2025 Newcomer of the Year), Clarence Awoudor (2023 Newcomer of the Year), Saku Heiskanen (2023 Freshman of the Year) and Scott Calabrese (2023 Coach of the Year) as the fifth member of the program to bring home a major Sun Belt end-of-season award.

His selections this fall represent the first time in his career he has earned a place on a postseason All-Conference team, as well as his first major end-of-season award.

The redshirt junior represented the breakout offensive star the Knights were looking for throughout the 2026 fall slate, setting new overall single-season career bests in total goals (12), assists (3), shot attempts (37), shots on goal (23), and game-winning goals (5).

Against conference opponents, Hansen totaled eight goals and two assists, including three braces against Old Dominion, then-No. 18 South Carolina and Georgia State, and each of the final three Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week awards Oct. 20, Oct. 27 and Nov. 5.

His three braces in Sun Belt play all came within a four-game stretch, and he recorded back-to-back multi-goal games against then-No. 18 South Carolina and Georgia State Oct. 25 and Oct. 29, including netting the game-winner in each of UCF's final three regular-season games against then-No. 18 South Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Southern. Overall, Hansen scored at least one goal in five of UCF's final six matches.

He also concluded the regular season leading or co-leading the Sun Belt overall in total goals (12), goals per game (0.75), game-winning goals (5), points per game (1.69), and total points (27), and in conference play also led the league in goals (8), points (18), points per game (2.00), and goals per game (0.89).

TAKAHIRO FUJITA (D) – ALL-SUN BELT FIRST TEAM

Voted the Sun Belt's 2026 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Fujita represented one of the conference’s leading defenders throughout the 2026 campaign, appearing in and starting 12 of UCF's first 13 games and totaling 985 minutes before suffering an injury at West Virginia Oct. 21.

His selection to the All-Sun Belt First Team this fall represents the third All-Conference pick of his career, joining his appointment to the 2024 All-Sun Belt Second Team and 2025 All-Sun Belt First Team, both with the Marshall Thundering Herd.

This fall, Fujita aided in the Knights limiting their opposition to two or fewer goals 10 times, one or fewer goals nine times, and six defensive clean sheets, including a 4-0 shutout win in UCF's rematch of the 2025 Sun Belt Conference tournament championship match against Marshall Oct. 3.

Offensively, Fujita has enjoyed his strongest year yet, scoring a career high five goals while recording his first two career game-winning goals in UCF's victories over Boston U. and South Florida. He also recorded his first career brace in the Knights' 4-0 clean sheet win over Marshall Oct. 3, and added his fifth goal of the year against Old Dominion Oct. 17.

GWENDAL DEGORCE (D) – ALL-SUN BELT FIRST TEAM

In his third year with the Knights, Degorce, having earned the first All-Conference selection of his career, held fast to his status as one of the mainstays on head coach Scott Calabrese’s back line, appearing in 15 of UCF’s 16 total games and totaling 1,340 minutes of action.

Offensively, he recorded the third assist of his career, coming on the first of the Black and Gold’s five goals in the team’s 5-1 win over Old Dominion Oct. 17.

On the defensive end, he played a key role in helping the Knights limit their opposition to two or fewer goals 13 times and one or fewer goals 11 times, and produce five clean sheets in his appearances.

The Black and Gold also finished the season ranking among Sun Belt leaders overall in shutout percentage (.375, 3rd) and team goals against-average (1.063, 4th).

MATISSE HÉBERT (GK) – ALL-SUN BELT SECOND TEAM

Voted the preseason Sun Belt Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, Hébert in just his first season with the Knights emerged as one of the nation's top goalkeepers, giving UCF a steady presence between the posts throughout the fall. With his selection to the All-Sun Belt Second Team, he earns the first All-Conference selection of his career after three times garnering Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week recognition over his last two seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers.

He recorded clean sheets in five of the Knights' first six games, coming against Boston U., Florida Atlantic, South Florida, Florida Polytechnic and VCU, and later added his career high-tying sixth clean sheet in UCF's 4-0 win over Marshall.

Hébert made at least three saves in a match six times, highlighted by a dominant eight-save performance in UCF's 2-0 win at VCU, and ranked among overall Sun Belt Conference leaders in minutes (1439:22, 1st), total shutouts (6, T-2nd), goals-against average (1.063, 3rd), save percentage (.702, 5th), and total saves (40, 5th).

He also allowed two or fewer goals 11 times and one or fewer goals 10 times, in addition to his six clean sheets, and set a new single-season career best with his first 40-save season entering the 2026 Sun Belt Conference tournament.

In conference play, Hébert also ranked among league leaders in goals-against average (1.33, T-4th), shutouts (1, T-5th), saves (25, 5th), save percentage (.676, 6th), and saves per game (2.78, 7th).

YOUNES BOUDINAR (M) – ALL-SUN BELT SECOND TEAM

Boudinar remained an integral member of Scott Calabrese's starting 11 throughout his second season with the Knights, starting all 16 matches and totaling 1258 minutes on the pitch en route to clinching his first career All-Conference selection.

His two goals this fall represented a new single-season career high, and he also recorded his first four career assists this season.

The midfielder recorded one of two assists on Takahiro Fujita's game-winner against South Florida Aug. 28, and scored his two goals in back-to-back Sun Belt Conference matchups against Kentucky and Marshall, helping UCF to a 1-1 draw with Kentucky and a 4-0 win over the Herd.

Boudinar clinched his first career multi-assist game against Old Dominion Oct. 17, including a helper on Joey Mueller's game-winner, and added his fourth assist of the year against Georgia Southern Nov. 3.

ALEX PARTERA (F) – ALL-SUN BELT SECOND TEAM

Partera represented an immediate contributor and mainstay in Scott Calabrese's starting 11 throughout his freshman season with UCF, appearing in 15 total games while starting 14 and totaling 999 minutes of action. He scored three goals and added a trio of assists this fall, and recorded 24 shot attempts including 10 on goal.

He scored his first career goal against then-No. 18 Clemson Sept. 1, and found the back of the net in the Knights' next game against Florida Polytechnic Sept. 6 as well.

His first two assists came in matches against South Florida Aug. 28 and at VCU Sept. 11, and he later assisted Joey Mueller's game-winner against Old Dominion Oct. 17. His first career goal against a Sun Belt opponent came in UCF's 5-1 victory over Georgia State Oct. 29.

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