Written by Alessandro Hurtado.
UCF men’s soccer captured the Sun Belt Conference championship after defeating No. 16 ranked Marshall in Huntington. The win completed a remarkable tournament run.
The Knights were the No. 5 seed in the tournament, and reached the title by defeating No. 4 Georgia Southern, top-seeded Kentucky, and No. 3 Marshall. It is their first Sun Belt title since joining the league in 2023.
This is UCF’s first conference tournament championship since winning the American Athletic Conference in the COVID-delayed Spring 2021 season. The victory also secures the Knights’ fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years under head coach Scott Calabrese.
UCF opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Frederic Benedix hit the far post with a powerful strike to head into half-time with a 1-0 lead.
They then took firm control of the match early in the second half by doubling the lead in the 51st minute through Lilian Ricol’s shot, finishing off a well-placed pass from Claudel N’goubou.
Ricol struck again 14 minutes later, going coast to coast on a counterattack to make it a commanding 3–0 advantage late in the 2nd half.
While Marshall managed to pull one back with a goal from Carl Romberg in the 73rd minute, the Knights’ defense held strong through the final minutes to secure the 3-1 victory.
The UCF Knights men’s soccer team clinched its first-ever Sun Belt Conference Championship title with a decisive victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd, which snapped Marshall’s long-standing unbeaten streak in home matches.
Clarence Awoudor, Frederic Benedix, and Claudel N’goubou earned All-Tournament honors for their outstanding performances, while Forward Lilian Ricol earned the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
UCF advances to the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in program history. The NCAA Men’s Soccer Selection Show is set for Monday, November 17.
UCF entered the day with a Rating Percentage Index of 37, but the Knights no longer need to worry about at-large considerations after securing the Sun Belt’s automatic bid.
