CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
BOX SCORE

FRISCO, Texas – The top remaining seed in the American Athletic Conference Championship moved forward in Friday’s second semifinal, as the No. 2 seeded UConn Huskies took down the No. 3 UCF Knights 2-0.

UConn got on the board first, scoring just over seven minutes into the game. The Huskies crossed the ball into the box, where it was controlled by Adria Beso. His shot was deflected to Mamado Doudou Diof, who slid a pass across the street. Freshman Cyle Larin knocked the ball home, scoring his league leading 11^th goal of the season to put UConn ahead 1-0. Larin continues a hot scoring streak, as he has scored eight goals in the last eight games.

The Huskies tallied again in the first half, as a goal from Nicolas Zuniga gave UConn a 2-0 edge. In the 37^th minute, Allando Matheson’s shot was stopped by UCF goalkeeper Sebastian Evers, and Zuniga finished it into an open net for his fourth career goal, and third lifetime postseason tally. The Huskies took the 2-0 margin into halftime after controlling the pace of play, outshooting the Knights 14-1 in the first stanza.

The second half was even, with much of the play in the midfield. UConn held a large edge in shots all game long, finishing with a 19-3 shot advantage. The Huskies recorded their 13th shutout of the season and is on a 13-game unbeaten streak.  

The Huskies will next face USF, who won the day’s first semifinal, in the Championship Final
on Sunday afternoon. UConn previously faced USF in Tampa on September 27, when the squads tied 1-1. George Fochive and Kennedy Selorm Adablah each tallied goals when the teams last met.
 
The match against USF will begin at 1:00 p.m. Central Time, and can been seen on ESPN3 live and tape delayed on ESPNU Sunday at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time.