For anyone that hasn’t realized this yet, the University of Central Florida athletics program is starting to become one of the “big boys.”
Both the UCF football and basketball teams were nationally ranked last year, and the football team is on the cusp of the top 25 again this year after an impressive 2-0 start.
And now, the UCF Men’s Soccer team has entered the top 10 nationally for the first time in program history, after jumping in to the eighth spot in this week’s Soccer America Top 25.
That is no small feat for a Knights team that was 6-7-3 just two seasons ago.
The UCF Soccer team has made drastic strides since head coach Bryan Cunningham took over the reigns four years ago.
Last year, the program made headlines with its finest season in school history after a 12-5-3 finish that included an at-large bid in to the NCAA Tournament, where the Knights advanced to the second round.
This year, the team has started off the season with a perfect 5-0 record, including impressive victories over North Florida and Mercer.
UCF has outscored its opponents 15-4 and recorded two shutouts.
Sophomore McKauly Tulloch continues to shine in his first season with UCF after transferring from the defending national champion Akron Zips. He leads the Knights with eight goals this season.
Goalie Shawn Doyle has also been dominant early on this season with two shutouts and 15 saves already.
The Knights are dominating Conference-USA as well, leading the league in goals per game (3.00) and assists per game (2.80), while being second in goals against average (0.80).
UCF will look to stay undefeated when they face George Mason on the road this Friday. The Knights return home Sept. 23 to take on Florida Gulf Coast.
Make sure to check KnightNews.com every Sunday for a weekly update on UCF’s less-publicized athletic teams.
