Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, October 31
Tampa, FL
4:30 PM
Temple University
vs
UCF
Women’s Soccer to Face UCF Wednesday in AAC Tournament Quarterfinals
10.29.18 | Women's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA— Temple women's soccer (7-10-1, 3-5-1 AAC) earned the sixth seed in the American Athletic Conference and is set to compete in the AAC Tournament quarterfinals against third-seeded UCF (9-6-1, 6-3 AAC). The Owls will face the Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The tournament will be played in Tampa, Fla. at USF's Corbett Stadium and streamed live on the American Digital Network.
The Owls
> Temple returns to the AAC Tournament for the first time since 2015 and looks to earn the program's first victory in AAC tournament play.
> Emma Wilkins and Gabriela Johnson spearhead the Owls up front. They each have tallied 12 points, which is good for first on the team. Wilkins has netted a team-high six goals, while Johnson has put in five goals and notched two assists. Two of Johnson's goals were overtime game-winners, coming against Houston and then No. 19 USF
> Johnson and Morgan Morocco lead the Temple squad in assists, as both have contributed to two goals on the season. FIve Owls are tied in this category, with Marissa DiGenova, Natalie Druehl, Hailey Gutowski, Emily Keitel and Kerri McGinley notching one assist apiece.
> Defense has been a strong point for the Owls all season. The backline, coupled with the central midfielders, have been disciplined and consistent, in addition to being key contributors to Temple's six shutouts.
> Junior goalkeeper Morgan Basileo has been a constant between the posts for the Owls, logging 1419 minutes on the season. Basileo has compiled a goals against average of 1.14 and a 0.836 save percentage through 16 matches. She has also earned a win in all six of Temple's shutouts this year, with an overall record of 7-7-1.
> Last time out, Temple competed in a tough, physical battle against the UConn Huskies in their final home game of the season. A late UConn goal with six minutes left to play ended up being the game-winner. Temple had great opportunities to get on the scoresheet throughout the match, but the Owls' full-team defensive effort shined. The squad thwarted threatening set pieces and blocked numerous shots to keep them locked 0-0 with the Huskies for the majority of the contest.
Scouting the Knights
> UCF is led by head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, who is in her sixth season with the Knights.
> The Knights are 9-6-1 overall, playing their most recent match on Oct. 26 at No. 14/18 USF. UCF fell to the 2018 American Conference Regular Season Champions 1-0 in Tampa.
> The UCF offensive attack is led by sophomore forward Stefanie Sanders. Sanders has tallied 29 points, with 12 goals and five assists on the season. She is first in the AAC in game-winning goals and second in in points and goals. Zandy Soree is another offensive threat for the Knights. She has notched six goals and two assists.
> Sanders also leads the team in assists (5). Midfielder Madison Murnin and forward Dina Orschmann are close behind, as each have contributed to three goals this season.
> Goalkeeper Vera Varis has notched 1452 minutes on the season for UCF. The senior has a goals against average of 1.12 and a save percentage of 0.719, with 46 saves through 16 games played.
> The Knights have outscored their opponents 31-18.
Series History- UCF
> This will be the eighth matchup between the Owls and the Knights. UCF leads the series, 7-0.
> When Temple last competed in the AAC Tournament in 2015, they faced the UCF in the quarterfinals in Dallas, Texas. UCF won the decision over Temple, 2-1.
> The most recent contest was held on Sept. 27 at the Temple Sports Complex. Despite being down two goals, the Owls showed resilience in the 60th minute when Morgan Morocco found the ball at her feet and ripped a shot toward the UCF net. The UCF keeper deflected the shot and Gabriela Johnson tracked the down the deflection. She collected the ball and buried it between the posts for her third goal of the season and to cut the deficit to one. Ultimately, the Owls fell to the Knights 2-1.
The Owls
> Temple returns to the AAC Tournament for the first time since 2015 and looks to earn the program's first victory in AAC tournament play.
> Emma Wilkins and Gabriela Johnson spearhead the Owls up front. They each have tallied 12 points, which is good for first on the team. Wilkins has netted a team-high six goals, while Johnson has put in five goals and notched two assists. Two of Johnson's goals were overtime game-winners, coming against Houston and then No. 19 USF
> Johnson and Morgan Morocco lead the Temple squad in assists, as both have contributed to two goals on the season. FIve Owls are tied in this category, with Marissa DiGenova, Natalie Druehl, Hailey Gutowski, Emily Keitel and Kerri McGinley notching one assist apiece.
> Defense has been a strong point for the Owls all season. The backline, coupled with the central midfielders, have been disciplined and consistent, in addition to being key contributors to Temple's six shutouts.
> Junior goalkeeper Morgan Basileo has been a constant between the posts for the Owls, logging 1419 minutes on the season. Basileo has compiled a goals against average of 1.14 and a 0.836 save percentage through 16 matches. She has also earned a win in all six of Temple's shutouts this year, with an overall record of 7-7-1.
> Last time out, Temple competed in a tough, physical battle against the UConn Huskies in their final home game of the season. A late UConn goal with six minutes left to play ended up being the game-winner. Temple had great opportunities to get on the scoresheet throughout the match, but the Owls' full-team defensive effort shined. The squad thwarted threatening set pieces and blocked numerous shots to keep them locked 0-0 with the Huskies for the majority of the contest.
Scouting the Knights
> UCF is led by head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, who is in her sixth season with the Knights.
> The Knights are 9-6-1 overall, playing their most recent match on Oct. 26 at No. 14/18 USF. UCF fell to the 2018 American Conference Regular Season Champions 1-0 in Tampa.
> The UCF offensive attack is led by sophomore forward Stefanie Sanders. Sanders has tallied 29 points, with 12 goals and five assists on the season. She is first in the AAC in game-winning goals and second in in points and goals. Zandy Soree is another offensive threat for the Knights. She has notched six goals and two assists.
> Sanders also leads the team in assists (5). Midfielder Madison Murnin and forward Dina Orschmann are close behind, as each have contributed to three goals this season.
> Goalkeeper Vera Varis has notched 1452 minutes on the season for UCF. The senior has a goals against average of 1.12 and a save percentage of 0.719, with 46 saves through 16 games played.
> The Knights have outscored their opponents 31-18.
Series History- UCF
> This will be the eighth matchup between the Owls and the Knights. UCF leads the series, 7-0.
> When Temple last competed in the AAC Tournament in 2015, they faced the UCF in the quarterfinals in Dallas, Texas. UCF won the decision over Temple, 2-1.
> The most recent contest was held on Sept. 27 at the Temple Sports Complex. Despite being down two goals, the Owls showed resilience in the 60th minute when Morgan Morocco found the ball at her feet and ripped a shot toward the UCF net. The UCF keeper deflected the shot and Gabriela Johnson tracked the down the deflection. She collected the ball and buried it between the posts for her third goal of the season and to cut the deficit to one. Ultimately, the Owls fell to the Knights 2-1.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
D
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M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
F
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