After winning both of its exhibition games, the UCF men’s soccer team had reason to be confident going into its season opener against Duke. But the Knights didn’t get the result they were looking for, falling 2-0 to the Blue Devils on the road on Friday night.
The Knights had a competitive first half, taking four shots while freshman goalkeeper Yannik Oettl recorded two saves. But, in the 45th minute, Duke managed to score, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Throughout the second half, UCF failed to respond on offense and finished the match with just seven shots. The Blue Devils finished with more than twice as many shots as the Knights and added to their lead in the 83rd minute, securing a 2-0 victory.
Despite allowing two goals, Oettl finished the match with eight saves for UCF. While six different Knights attempted shots, none were able to score.
UCF will take on Elon on the road at 12 p.m. on Sunday. The Knights will then return to Orlando and play their home opener against Charlotte on Friday, Sept. 1.
