CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Two closer games could not be replicated, with both American Athletic Conference semifinal games taking extra minutes and beyond to decide the finalists. No. 1 seed and host UCF advanced 4-3 on penalty kicks over No. 5 seed USF, while No. 3 Rutgers outlasted No. 7 seed Memphis by a 2-1 PK margin, with both games ending in 0-0 draws. UCF and Rutgers will meet on Sunday, Nov. 10 and battle for the first American Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Championship and an automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division I Tournament.
UCF (16-2-3, 8-0-1 American) was able to put together another solid defensive effort, as the conference’s best backline held the Bulls to only two shots on goal through the entire match. Senior goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado was able to make saves on both shots, propelling the Knights into overtime and beyond.
With each team converting through three penalty shots, sophomore Allie Gerry was able to convert on UCF’s fourth attempt following a wide shot from USF to secure the Knights’ spot in the finals.
For the Bulls, goalkeeper Christiane Endler kept her team in the game, making seven saves. After falling short on the offensive end in the first half, USF made a resurgence to open the second half, outshooting UCF 7-5 in the second 45 minutes of play.
Despite the even play on both ends of the field, the Bulls wrap up the season with a 10-4-6 overall record after going 4-3-2 in The American. USF will wait for Monday’s NCAA Tournament selection, in which the Bulls could receive an at-large bid to the 64-team field.
Rutgers (13-4-3 overall, 5-3-1 American) edged out the second advancement of the evening on the heels of goalkeeper Jessica Janosz’s four saves during regulation and two additional saves during penalty kicks. The Scarlet Knights were able to prevent already-hot Memphis, having scored 13 goals in its three previous games, from converting on the night.
Like the first semifinal, the Scarlet Knights and Tigers played one another aggressively, with defense taking the forefront. Memphis outshot Rutgers 10-5 on the night, but penalty-kick conversions from senior Tricia DiPaolo and sophomore Erica Skroski, were enough to put Rutgers in the final.
Memphis ends the season on a high note, going unbeaten in its last five matches and racking up 14 total goals in those games. Freshman Valerie Sanderson and senior Christabel Oduro are The American’s top two goal scorers on 2013, with Sanderson netting 17, followed closely by Oduro’s 15. Like USF, Memphis will also await the results of Monday’s NCAA selections.
The top-seeded Knights, also ranked No.12 nationally by
Soccer America and No. 17 by the NSCAA, are in the midst of a 17-game unbeaten streak, nine of which have been shutouts. Rutgers will look to end that streak and be the first team to hand UCF a loss since Sept. 1, while increasing its current unbeaten streak to four games.
Sunday’s final will be a rematch of Oct. 18, when UCF was able to outlast Rutgers 2-1 in Orlando. The game will kick off at noon, and be televised live on ESPNU. For updated brackets, tournament info and stats, be sure to visit Championship Central at TheAmerican.org/WSOCCER.