Men’s Soccer to Host Coastal Carolina in Common Season Dwelling Finale – UCF Athletics

ORLANDO – Riding the momentum of a six-match unbeaten streak, the UCF males’s soccer staff will take its dwelling pitch for the ultimate time within the 2025 common season Friday night in opposition to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

The Knights, undefeated in every of their six October contests in opposition to South Carolina, then-No. 11 Georgia Southern, Bradley, Old Dominion, James Madison and Georgia State, enter the common season’s penultimate contest in fifth place within the Sun Belt desk with two matches to play. If the present standings have been to stay, UCF would conflict with the fourth-seeded Eagles as soon as once more within the first spherical of the 2025 Men’s Soccer Sun Belt Conference Championship Nov. 9 in Lexington, Kentucky.

Their October efforts, a 4-0-2 displaying general accompanied by a 3-0-2 mark in Sun Belt play, have seen the squad accumulate 11 factors within the convention standings to rise again above .500 on the season general, at 6-5-3, after starting the yr 2-5-1 by way of eight video games.

The Black and Gold have additionally continued to enhance upon traditionally sturdy play within the month of October underneath head coach Scott Calabrese, because the group boasts an all-time 31-11-5 October report because the starting of the 2017 season.

The staff returns dwelling on the heels of a 1-1 draw on the street with Georgia State Oct. 26, a end result that helped hold the Knights above the sixth-place Panthers within the league standings.

Through a successful end result eluded the squad in Atlanta, UCF battled again from a late one-goal second-half deficit to stay unbeaten since Oct. 4. Veteran goalkeeper Juanvi Muñoz made a trio of first-half saves and went 3-for-4 on the afternoon general, whereas junior ahead Lilian Ricol scored his team-leading ninth aim of the season to knot the affairs at one within the 71st minute.

Ricol’s newest tally represented his fourth in his final two video games after he netted his first profession hat trick in opposition to James Madison Oct. 22, and pushed him one level forward of teammate Clarence Awoudor for the staff lead within the class (20).

The Paris, France, native enters Friday night’s motion because the Sun Belt’s second-leading scorer in complete objectives (9) and third in complete factors (20), and ranks amongst convention leaders in objectives per recreation (0.64, 2nd), factors per recreation (1.43, 2nd), pictures on aim per recreation (1.43, 2nd), and shot makes an attempt per recreation (2.43, fifth).

Awoudor additionally additional bolstered his nation-leading help complete, notching his thirteenth of the season to stay atop NCAA Division I soccer in complete assists and assists per recreation (0.93). The third-year Knight this fall has already set single-season profession bests in assists, complete factors (19), shot makes an attempt (40), and pictures on aim (18) as effectively.

The Saint-Lo, France, native’s 13 assists mark probably the most by a participant in a single season in UCF’s program historical past since not less than 1998, way back to NCAA statistics can be found.

Muñoz, in the meantime, recorded his ninth displaying of the season with one or fewer objectives allowed by way of his first 14 begins, seeing his season goals-against common drop to 1.21 whereas his save share climbed again above .700 on the season.

When they meet the Chanticleers Friday, the Knights will look to enhance upon a 4-2 all-time report in opposition to Coastal Carolina, together with a 2-0 mark since UCF joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2023.

UCF bested the Chants by a convincing 5-0 remaining rating the final time it hosted Coastal Oct. 18, 2023, and the Knights final season earned a dramatic last-minute victory on the energy of Lucca Dourado’s 89th-minute rating within the regular-season finale in Conway, South Carolina Nov. 5, 2024.

The Chanticleers enter Friday’s motion simply contained in the Sun Belt Conference postseason image, at the moment in eighth place with six factors within the desk after beginning 2-5-0 in league play.

The staff does deliver momentum to Orlando, although, as two of its three wins on the season general have are available each of their final two outings in opposition to Georgia State (3-1, Oct. 22) and South Carolina (3-1, Oct. 26).

The staff’s main goal-scorer, Angel Lopez Martin, accounted for 3 of their six objectives in that span, whereas goalkeeper Harrison Gough made a mixed 9 saves on 11 pictures on goal-against between the 2 wins.

Kickoff is ready for 7 p.m. from the UCF Soccer Complex and might be streamed reside on ESPN+.

ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS

UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively remodel the lives of our college students academically, athletically, and personally by way of a nationally aggressive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the status and visibility of the University. We try to be Florida’s preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our group with distinction on the nationwide stage as “Orlando’s Hometown Team”. To be taught extra about UCF and Athletics, please go to our web sites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.