Knights to face Bulls for a title
UCF women's soccer coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak doesn't need to roll out any fiery pregame speeches to motivate her players.
Instead, Roberts Sahaydak is trying to keep the No. 7 Knights (12-1-1, 7-0-1 AAC) focused on playing their best soccer instead of thinking too much about what is at stake when they face off with rival USF (11-3-0, 7-1-0 AAC) at 7 tonight at the UCF Soccer Complex.
With a win over Bulls, UCF would send a beloved senior class out with a win and clinch a regular-season conference title.
“I think one of the biggest keys would just be to focus,” said Roberts Sahaydak, a former U.S. women’s national team standout and college soccer national title winner who would love to steer her UCF team to the College Cup being hosted their year at Orlando City Stadium.
“There is a lot going on. You know there's a lot riding on this game and I think if we get too emotion or too high, ... we can lose focus . ... I don't want the emotions to get the best of us."
USF and UCF both favor an attacking style and have a chance to clinch a title, so both squads should be doing anything possible to score.
“I think it's a good matchup,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “It’s a must-win situation for them, too, so they're not going to sit back . ... They're going to be going after us and so defensively we need to be sharp and plugged in and focused.”
UCF has played a tough schedule that helped prepare the Knights for the high stakes game against the rival Bulls. The Knights knocked off perennial national power North Carolina, then ranked No. 4, by a score of 2-1 early in the season.
“It’s so helpful and it plays into our confidence this time of year,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “... This year, getting that ‘W’ has really, like, launched us into playing well . ... We look back at the reasons why we were successful that night and it's fresh in their minds and they know what they have to do. It's such a confidence builder.”
She also is quick to credit the hard work of seniors Rebecca Harb, Christine Creighton, Bridget Callahan, Julia Moore, Kayla Adamek, Morgan Ferrara, Saga Fredriksson, Jen Vera, Hannah DeBose and Kathellen Sousa, who will be recognized prior to the USF match.
Ferrara leads the Knights with 12 goals, while Adamek has added 10.
“I really don't my seniors to go,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “... They’ve been such a wonderful leadership group this year. I think a lot of our success has to do with their leadership style and how united they have been as a senior class. They're a very selfless class and very competitive. So they've really set the standard for all their teammates.”
Roberts Sahaydak is urging all area soccer fans to check out the game, giving her team a boost with a conference title at stake.
"I would love to have a home-field advantage and have that feel," she said. "And you know, our players really deserve it. They've been working so hard this season. They've been successful. I'd feel so happy for them to feel that support on this night that is so important.
“... Any soccer fan that decided to come out, even Orlando City fans that haven't been to a UCF game, I think they will be really happy and surprised by the level and the style that we play.”