Despite starting its season at 2-5-1, the UCF Men’s Soccer team rallied to win the Sun Belt Tournament and earn an automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA Tournament.
For more about the Knights’ journey
to earn their NCAA tournament berth, click here, but on Thursday night, that NCAA tournament begins as they host Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m.
Here is what the Knights’ corner of the bracket looks like for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament:
UCF Knights (RPI #32)
The Knights boast an aggressive team, ranking 20th in the nation and leading the Sun Belt with fouls per game.
However, they also boast the nation’s leader in assists in forward/midfielder Clarence Awoudor (14), and forward Lilian Ricol, both All-Sun Belt First Teamers who have helped lead the Knights to becoming a Top 25 team in the nation in total goals and total points.
On defense, the Knights are anchored by All-Sun Belt Freshman selection Jem Hewlett, and they have senior goalkeeper Juanvi Munoz in goal, who finished fifth in the league in goals against average (1.201).
Florida Atlantic Owls (RPI #33)
Thursday’s match in Orlando will mark the first time Florida Atlantic have faced the Knights since they joined the Sun Belt Conference, with their last meeting coming in a 2022 American Conference matchup, which the Owls won, 2-1.
This season, the Owls came out on top of the American Conference for the first time since joining in 2022. They’re led by The American’s Offensive Player of the Year Mamadou Diarra, who is on top of the league with eight goals and second in assists with six. Right behind Diarra is All-American Conference Second Teamer Aboubacar Traore, a midfielder who leads the league with seven assists.
Joining Traore in the midfield is Oliver Moller-Jensen, who ranks third in The American in shots on goal per game, and All-Freshman Team selection Elias Asikainen.
Meanwhile, their back line is anchored by All-Conference First Teamer Fabrizio Cubeddu put down the third-lowest team goals against average in the league, and 64th-lowest in the nation (1.118). Goalkeeper Alfred Mikkelsen has also recorded the second-highest save percentage in the league (75%).
7-seed Georgetown Hoyas (RPI #9)
The winner of the Knights vs. Owls matchup will travel to Washington, DC, on Sunday at 5 p.m. to take on Georgetown in the second round.
The Hoyas are led by the Big East’s Coaching Staff of the Year, headed by Brian Wiese, who took them to a national championship in 2019.
Their attack is spearheaded by All-Big East First Teamers Mitchell Barker and Zach Zengue. Both are ranked in the top five in the nation in shots on goal per game, Top 15 in the nation in total goals and Top 20 in the nation in shot accuracy. Zengue, the Big East’s unanimous Midfielder of the Year, is also third in the nation in assists (12).
On defense, their backline is anchored by All-Big East First Teamer Eric Howard and All-Big East Third Teamer Tenzing Manske mans the net, both helping keep the Hoyas to the 15th-lowest team goals against average in the nation. Mankse also ranks 29th in the nation in goals against average (.800).
