HUNTINGTON, W.VA. – The third-seeded UCF men’s soccer team fell in its 2026 Sun Belt Conference tournament opener to sixth-seeded No. 24 South Carolina, 2-1, at Hoops Family Field Sunday evening.
“Very even game, and a difficult game,” said head coach Scott Calabrese. “Congratulations to South Carolina. I can’t fault our players for their effort or their attitude; they gave everything that we would expect in a game, and some bounces didn’t go our way. It’s a tough one tonight, and I feel for these guys.”
The Gamecocks snagged an early advantage in the 29th minute on a score by forward Angel Lopez, but UCF battled back to tie the affairs just before the halftime whistle.
With the Knights breaking back into the offensive end, sophomore Petter Wingsternaes and redshirt senior Joey Mueller teamed up to provide senior midfielder Kenn Muendo with a pass as he snuck ahead of the last line of Gamecock defenders.
One quick strike was all he required to chip the ball over South Carolina goalkeeper Noah Scheidweiler, and with his third tally of the season, he knotted the contest up at one goal apiece entering the halftime break.
UCF was unable to build upon the late first-half tally, though, and the Gamecocks netted their eventual decisive second goal in the 65th minute of play to clinch their second-round Sun Belt Tournament berth.
The Black and Gold, meanwhile, await the NCAA Selection Show Monday, Nov. 16 to learn if their season will continue into the NCAA Tournament. UCF departs Huntington, West Virginia with an overall 9-5-3 record in its 17 matches this fall.
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.