Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, November 13
Orlando, FL
7:00 PM
Temple University
at
No. 5 UCF
Men's Soccer to Face No. 6 UCF in AAC Semifinals Wednesday
11.11.19 | Men's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA – After defeating Memphis in a double overtime thriller during the first round of the 2019 American Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Tournament, the Temple men's soccer team (8-7-2, 3-2-2 AAC) punched its ticket to Orlando, Fla. where it will face No. 6 UCF (13-1-2, 6-0-1 AAC) in the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The Owls will battle the top-seeded Knights at the UCF Soccer and Track Complex in a 7 p.m. kickoff as both teams look to secure a spot in Saturday's title game.
AAC Tournament Breakdown
> The conference tournament features a single-elimination format that began on Saturday, Nov. 9 with six teams. After advancing through the tournament's first rounds, the Owls and the USF Bulls earned trips to Orlando where top-seeded UCF will host the remainder of the tournament. USF will meet second-seeded SMU at 4:30 p.m. before the Owls square off against the sixth-ranked Knights immediately following at approximately 7 p.m. The winners of each game will survive and advance to the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 16.
> Both semifinal matches at the UCF Soccer & Track Complex will air live on Facebook via the American Digital Network, while the championship contest will be available live on ESPN3.
Last Time Out
> The road to the AAC Championship title continues for the Owls after the squad used a thrilling 2-1 double-overtime victory to defeat Memphis in the tournament's first round. An 89th-minute equalizer from Esteban Suarez and a 103rd-minute golden goal from Jalen Campbell completed the Cherry and White comeback over Tigers to hand Temple its second double OT victory over Memphis this season.
> The chilly AAC tournament battle at the Memphis Track and Soccer Complex started with a back-and-forth possession game as neither team saw a shot on goal until over 20 minutes into action. Senior captain Lukas Fernandes fired on target in the 21st minute to test Memphis' Parker Lackland for the first time, but the goalkeeper scooped it up with ease to keep the game scoreless. Just three minutes later, Memphis broke through the possession deadlock and struck first with a goal from Sam Ashton.
> Resetting in the locker room at the half, the squad built momentum and nearly broke through on multiple occurrences in the second frame. With just one minute and 28 seconds remaining in regulation, the Cherry and White offensive pressure paid off when Fernandes battled through a scramble and flicked the ball to the far post. Suarez was charging towards goal and was able to get on the end of Fernandes' cross, burying the ball in the back of the net to keep the Owls' season alive and send the AAC foes into overtime.
> Temple carried momentum through the first 10-minute overtime period, keeping the ball in the Tigers' defensive half for the majority of play and outshooting Memphis 3-1. Refusing to back down, the Owls took advantage and entered the second overtime period hungry for a goal.
> The Owls earned their seventh corner of the game with the 102:07 on the clock and Fernandes stepped up to take the in-swinging kick. Elias Hellgren Villegas got on the end of his senior captain's distribution and dropped it back to Brandon Johnson, who kept it in the box and found freshman Sean Karani. Karani controlled the ball and slipped it across the goalmouth to the boot of Campbell, who tapped in the golden goal to punch Temple's first-ever ticket to the semifinals.
Scouting the Owls
> Temple is coached by Brian Rowland in his second year at the helm of the program. During the regular season, he led the Owls to a 7-7-2 overall record through an extremely challenging nonconference slate that featured three top-15 teams and notable top-25 RPI road wins over Memphis and Louisville. The Cherry and White came alive during the second half of the season, holding a five-game unbeaten streak that was ultimately snapped in a double-OT loss to No. 11 SMU in their regular season finale.
> The team has already made history this season by earning its first-ever AAC tournament victory on Saturday night after previously losing all five post season games it qualified for since the formation of the American in 2013. The Owls are now 1-1 in AAC Championship play under Rowland's direction and have shown vast improvement both on paper and on the pitch since he took over the program in 2018.
> Fernandes spearheads the Temple offense with 11 points from three goals and five assists. The senior captain has involved himself in eight of the Owls 18 scoring plays and continues to be an offensive spark for the team with 26 shots on goal and one game-winner this season. Karani has also been a bright light for the Owls during his rookie season, notching nine points from three goals and three assists. The freshman assisted the game-winner that gave Temple its first-ever AAC first round victory and has fired off 23 shots this year.
Protect this House
> Not only has Temple's back-line consistently proven to be one of the conference's top defensive units this year, but the starting back four has contributed 20 points for the team's offensive production as well. Junior captain Pierre Cayet has notched three goals, tied for most on the team from his center back position, while he continues to shut down the conference's top offensive threats. Suarez has netted a pair of critical goals for the Cherry and White, one of which was the 89th-minute equalizer that kept Temple's season alive on Saturday night, and has dished out two assists this year. Borger also has a pair of goals and assists and Johnson found the back of the net once this season.
> Senior Simon Lefebvre has been outstanding this season, playing all 1613 minutes between the posts for Temple to complete the powerhouse defensive unit the team possesses. The 6-9 keeper boasts a goals against average of 0.95 after notching 51 saves and allowing just 17 goals in as many games played. Lefebvre's three shutouts tie for second-most in the conference while both his save percentage (.746) and goals against average stand alone at second in the American.
RPI Watch
> The Owls remain steady in the RPI rankings, coming in at No. 37 this week after downing Memphis on the road in the AAC tournament first round. Temple rose as high as No. 34 this season after defeating two top-25 opponents in a 10-day span in No. 13 Louisville and No. 23 Memphis.
> Numerous teams in this week's top-10 RPI appeared on Temple's schedule this season in No. 2 Georgetown, No. 3 UCF, No. 6 St. John's and No. 9 SMU.
Scouting the Knights
> The Knights are coached by Scott Calabrese in his third year leading the program. Calabrese has coached the team into a perennial national contender, as the Knights currently sit third in the nation in RPI and earned the sixth spot in the United Soccer Coaches Poll this week. UCF was crowned the regular season conference champion after concluding the year with a record of 13-1-2 and an undefeated 6-0-1 tab in conference play, earning them hosting rights as the conference tournament's top seed. Their lone loss on the year came from No. 4 Wake Forest in their season opener back in August and their draw in conference play came against No. 11 SMU. Having not fallen since their 2019 season debut, the Knights currently sit on an active 15-game unbeaten streak.
> The Knights earned a bye into the conference semifinals and clinched the outright regular season AAC title after defeating Cincinnati 3-2 in overtime during their regular season finale. UCF scored first in the 50th minute but the Bearcats responded almost immediately to even the field. The Knights took the lead 10 minutes later just before they were forced to play a man down due to a red card ejection. A Cincinnati equalizer in the 83rd minute eventually forced the teams into overtime, where Gino Vivi buried the golden-goal in the 99th minute to give UCF its 13th win of the season.
> The UCF offense has been a force to be reckoned with all season as nine different players have produced 110 points from 36 goals and 38 assists. Consistently one of the nation's top scorers, Cal Jennings spearheads the UCF offense with 30 points from 13 goals and four assists. The All-American forward has notched six game-winners for the Knights this season and has fired off 54 shots with 25 on frame. Three other Knights have tabbed double-digit points in Louis Perez (17), Gino Vivi (14) and Yoni Sorokin (13) and Perez's nine assists leads the squad by a handful.
> One of the fiercest goalkeepers in the conference, Yannik Oettl has defended the Knights between the posts for all 1538 minutes of the team's season thus far. The junior goalkeeper has allowed just 20 goals in 16 games played for a goals against average of 1.17 and has saved 49 shots this season.
Regular Season Meeting
> The teams met in the 2019 conference opener on Sept. 27 where the Knights blanked the Owls, 2-0. UCF now holds a 3-2-2 nudge over Temple in the all-time series that dates back to 2013 when they first met at the formation of the American Athletic Conference.
AAC Tournament Breakdown
> The conference tournament features a single-elimination format that began on Saturday, Nov. 9 with six teams. After advancing through the tournament's first rounds, the Owls and the USF Bulls earned trips to Orlando where top-seeded UCF will host the remainder of the tournament. USF will meet second-seeded SMU at 4:30 p.m. before the Owls square off against the sixth-ranked Knights immediately following at approximately 7 p.m. The winners of each game will survive and advance to the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 16.
> Both semifinal matches at the UCF Soccer & Track Complex will air live on Facebook via the American Digital Network, while the championship contest will be available live on ESPN3.
Last Time Out
> The road to the AAC Championship title continues for the Owls after the squad used a thrilling 2-1 double-overtime victory to defeat Memphis in the tournament's first round. An 89th-minute equalizer from Esteban Suarez and a 103rd-minute golden goal from Jalen Campbell completed the Cherry and White comeback over Tigers to hand Temple its second double OT victory over Memphis this season.
> The chilly AAC tournament battle at the Memphis Track and Soccer Complex started with a back-and-forth possession game as neither team saw a shot on goal until over 20 minutes into action. Senior captain Lukas Fernandes fired on target in the 21st minute to test Memphis' Parker Lackland for the first time, but the goalkeeper scooped it up with ease to keep the game scoreless. Just three minutes later, Memphis broke through the possession deadlock and struck first with a goal from Sam Ashton.
> Resetting in the locker room at the half, the squad built momentum and nearly broke through on multiple occurrences in the second frame. With just one minute and 28 seconds remaining in regulation, the Cherry and White offensive pressure paid off when Fernandes battled through a scramble and flicked the ball to the far post. Suarez was charging towards goal and was able to get on the end of Fernandes' cross, burying the ball in the back of the net to keep the Owls' season alive and send the AAC foes into overtime.
> Temple carried momentum through the first 10-minute overtime period, keeping the ball in the Tigers' defensive half for the majority of play and outshooting Memphis 3-1. Refusing to back down, the Owls took advantage and entered the second overtime period hungry for a goal.
> The Owls earned their seventh corner of the game with the 102:07 on the clock and Fernandes stepped up to take the in-swinging kick. Elias Hellgren Villegas got on the end of his senior captain's distribution and dropped it back to Brandon Johnson, who kept it in the box and found freshman Sean Karani. Karani controlled the ball and slipped it across the goalmouth to the boot of Campbell, who tapped in the golden goal to punch Temple's first-ever ticket to the semifinals.
Scouting the Owls
> Temple is coached by Brian Rowland in his second year at the helm of the program. During the regular season, he led the Owls to a 7-7-2 overall record through an extremely challenging nonconference slate that featured three top-15 teams and notable top-25 RPI road wins over Memphis and Louisville. The Cherry and White came alive during the second half of the season, holding a five-game unbeaten streak that was ultimately snapped in a double-OT loss to No. 11 SMU in their regular season finale.
> The team has already made history this season by earning its first-ever AAC tournament victory on Saturday night after previously losing all five post season games it qualified for since the formation of the American in 2013. The Owls are now 1-1 in AAC Championship play under Rowland's direction and have shown vast improvement both on paper and on the pitch since he took over the program in 2018.
> Fernandes spearheads the Temple offense with 11 points from three goals and five assists. The senior captain has involved himself in eight of the Owls 18 scoring plays and continues to be an offensive spark for the team with 26 shots on goal and one game-winner this season. Karani has also been a bright light for the Owls during his rookie season, notching nine points from three goals and three assists. The freshman assisted the game-winner that gave Temple its first-ever AAC first round victory and has fired off 23 shots this year.
Protect this House
> Not only has Temple's back-line consistently proven to be one of the conference's top defensive units this year, but the starting back four has contributed 20 points for the team's offensive production as well. Junior captain Pierre Cayet has notched three goals, tied for most on the team from his center back position, while he continues to shut down the conference's top offensive threats. Suarez has netted a pair of critical goals for the Cherry and White, one of which was the 89th-minute equalizer that kept Temple's season alive on Saturday night, and has dished out two assists this year. Borger also has a pair of goals and assists and Johnson found the back of the net once this season.
> Senior Simon Lefebvre has been outstanding this season, playing all 1613 minutes between the posts for Temple to complete the powerhouse defensive unit the team possesses. The 6-9 keeper boasts a goals against average of 0.95 after notching 51 saves and allowing just 17 goals in as many games played. Lefebvre's three shutouts tie for second-most in the conference while both his save percentage (.746) and goals against average stand alone at second in the American.
RPI Watch
> The Owls remain steady in the RPI rankings, coming in at No. 37 this week after downing Memphis on the road in the AAC tournament first round. Temple rose as high as No. 34 this season after defeating two top-25 opponents in a 10-day span in No. 13 Louisville and No. 23 Memphis.
> Numerous teams in this week's top-10 RPI appeared on Temple's schedule this season in No. 2 Georgetown, No. 3 UCF, No. 6 St. John's and No. 9 SMU.
Scouting the Knights
> The Knights are coached by Scott Calabrese in his third year leading the program. Calabrese has coached the team into a perennial national contender, as the Knights currently sit third in the nation in RPI and earned the sixth spot in the United Soccer Coaches Poll this week. UCF was crowned the regular season conference champion after concluding the year with a record of 13-1-2 and an undefeated 6-0-1 tab in conference play, earning them hosting rights as the conference tournament's top seed. Their lone loss on the year came from No. 4 Wake Forest in their season opener back in August and their draw in conference play came against No. 11 SMU. Having not fallen since their 2019 season debut, the Knights currently sit on an active 15-game unbeaten streak.
> The Knights earned a bye into the conference semifinals and clinched the outright regular season AAC title after defeating Cincinnati 3-2 in overtime during their regular season finale. UCF scored first in the 50th minute but the Bearcats responded almost immediately to even the field. The Knights took the lead 10 minutes later just before they were forced to play a man down due to a red card ejection. A Cincinnati equalizer in the 83rd minute eventually forced the teams into overtime, where Gino Vivi buried the golden-goal in the 99th minute to give UCF its 13th win of the season.
> The UCF offense has been a force to be reckoned with all season as nine different players have produced 110 points from 36 goals and 38 assists. Consistently one of the nation's top scorers, Cal Jennings spearheads the UCF offense with 30 points from 13 goals and four assists. The All-American forward has notched six game-winners for the Knights this season and has fired off 54 shots with 25 on frame. Three other Knights have tabbed double-digit points in Louis Perez (17), Gino Vivi (14) and Yoni Sorokin (13) and Perez's nine assists leads the squad by a handful.
> One of the fiercest goalkeepers in the conference, Yannik Oettl has defended the Knights between the posts for all 1538 minutes of the team's season thus far. The junior goalkeeper has allowed just 20 goals in 16 games played for a goals against average of 1.17 and has saved 49 shots this season.
Regular Season Meeting
> The teams met in the 2019 conference opener on Sept. 27 where the Knights blanked the Owls, 2-0. UCF now holds a 3-2-2 nudge over Temple in the all-time series that dates back to 2013 when they first met at the formation of the American Athletic Conference.
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