After a down year in 2016, UCF has officially returned to the top of the AAC in 2017. With a 1-1 draw against I-4 rival USF on Friday night, the No. 7 Knights officially won the conference’s regular season title.
The Bulls (11-3-1, 7-1-1 AAC) took a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute on a penalty kick. But just as they have all season, the Knights (12-1-2, 7-0-2 AAC) kept fighting and found the equalizer in the 58th minute. Freshman Dina Orschmann knotted the game at one with her sixth goal of the season, with senior Morgan Ferrara getting the assist.
The game remained tied throughout the rest of regulation, taking the regular season finale to overtime. The two teams battled throughout the two 10-minute periods, with UCF getting a close chance in the 93rd minute before junior Vera Varis came up with a save in the 101st. By the end of the second overtime period, the game was still at a deadlock, which was enough for the Knights to win their third AAC regular season title.
The draw extended UCF’s unbeaten streak to 15 games.
As the regular season champions, the Knights will host the conference tournament at the UCF Soccer Complex from Nov. 1-5.
