FINAL_UNF_WideFINAL_UNF_Wide

Men's Soccer Comes From Behind to Top North Florida 2-1

Box Score (PDF)

ORLANDO – The UCF men's soccer team earned a tally in the win column in its home opener over North Florida on Monday night, with an electric second half putting the Knights on top 2-1.
 
"It was a really difficult game," said head coach Scott Calabrese. "We had a difficult time establishing our possession and I think that has a lot to do with UNF. They came out and pressed us and they worked incredibly hard and had a good game plan against us. We weren't in control the way we like to be. For me though, all in all, we go down 1-0, find a way to get back and win the game, that shows character."
 
After the first 45 minutes, the match remained scoreless, with UNF tallying four shots on goal on seven shot attempts. Freshman goalkeeper Juanvi Muñoz faced some quality chances from the Ospreys but kept the net empty to keep the score at 0-0. UCF trailed in the shot category, firing two shot attempts with neither landing on frame.
 
North Florida started the second half fast with a goal by Angus Taylor on a breakaway in the 54th minute. The unassisted goal opened the scoring for the match and was the first Osprey goal of the 2022 season.
 
Not long after, UCF responded with a goal of their own scored by Maël Haise in the 64th minute. Gino Vivi looped a corner into the box which found its way to Haise, who headed it in past Osprey goalkeeper Padraic Gilley to even the score back up at one apiece.

The Knights kept up the momentum, scoring once again less than 10 minutes later. Mauricio Villalobos Vega was able to steal the ball away from an Osprey defender and put the ball in the back of the net in the 73rd minute. The captain's unassisted goal gave the Knights the 2-1 lead which wound up being the final score.

Muñoz carried his stellar performance from the first half into the second as he stopped seven of the eight shots on target he faced, earning a new career high in saves. Both Haise and Villalobos tallied their first goals of the 2022 campaign, coming at crucial points within the match.
 
UCF had a total of 14 shot attempts, with five shots on goal, while North Florida ended with 13 shot attempts and eight shots on goal. The Black and Gold outshot the Ospreys in the final 45 by a margin of 12-6.
 
The victory by the Knights thanks to a second half comeback improved their all-time record to 9-5-0 against the Ospreys and their second win in a row against them.
 
UP NEXT
UCF will head south on Friday for a matchup with FGCU, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. in Fort Myers.

FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Men's Soccer on social media on Facebook (/UCFMensSoccer), Twitter (@UCF_MSoccer) and Instagram (@UCF.MSoccer).

GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android phone! The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news. Click here to download the app now.