CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | STANDINGS
 
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  UCF earned the outright regular season crown and is the top overall seed for the second-straight season, as the American Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Championship bracket was finalized Tuesday evening.
 
The Knights (13-1-2, 6-0-1) posted their 15^th-consecutive unbeaten contest with a 3-2 overtime win at Cincinnati on Tuesday, culminating their conference slate with 19 points. No. 11-ranked SMU (14-1-1, 5-1-1) earns the tournament’s No. 2 seed for the second-straight year with 16 points, following a 2-1 double-overtime victory at Temple on Tuesday.
 
The tournament features a single-elimination format, with the top two seeds receiving byes to next week’s semifinals. The other four seeds will square off in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 9, with No. 3 seed USF hosting No. 6 seed UConn and No. 4 seed Memphis entertaining No. 5 seed Temple. UCF will host both semifinal contests on Wednesday, Nov. 13 and the championship match on Saturday, Nov. 16 at the UCF Soccer & Track Complex.
 
Both semifinal matches will air live on Facebook via the American Digital Network, while the championship contest will be available live on ESPN3.
 
No. 6-ranked UCF is just the third squad in the league’s seven-season history to post an undefeated conference record. 2019 marks the first-ever outright regular season title for UCF as a member of The American. Head coach Scott Calabrese’s squad enters the tournament as the nation’s 11^th-ranked scoring offense, and lead Division I with 7.80 corner kicks per game.
 
The Knights will meet the winner of Memphis and Temple, who will play Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Memphis, Tenn. The Tigers (10-6-0, 4-3-0) acquire their highest tournament seed as a member of The American at No. 4, earning the spot thanks to a 4-3 overtime win over SMU earlier in the season. Temple (7-7-2, 3-2-2) enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed, and previously defeated Memphis 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 12.
 
SMU, the two-time defending American Athletic Conference champion, returns to Orlando, Fla. where the Mustangs claimed the trophy last season. The Mustangs lead the league in nearly every statistical category, while senior forward Garrett McLaughlin leads the league in points (36) and goals (15).
 
USF and UConn will square off in the other first round game, with the winner advancing to meet the Mustangs in the semifinals. The Bulls (10-5-1, 4-3-0) secured the No. 3 seed with Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Memphis, and will host the Huskies in Tampa, Fla. on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. UConn (5-11-1, 2-5-0) clinched the final spot in the championship field on Tuesday, downing Tulsa 6-3.
 
Live coverage will be available throughout the championship at TheAmerican.org/MSoccer and on the conference’s social media platforms: @American_MSoc on Twitter and American_Conf on Facebook.
 
2019 American Athletic Conference
Men’s Soccer Championship
 
Saturday, Nov. 9 – First Round
Hosted at campus sites
Game 1: No. 6 UConn at No. 3 USF – 7 p.m. ET
Game 2: No. 5 Temple at No. 4 Memphis – 8 p.m. ET
 
Wednesday, Nov. 13 – Semifinals
Hosted by UCF – American Digital Network
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 2 SMU – 4:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 1 UCF – 7 p.m. ET
 
Saturday, Nov. 16 – Championship
Hosted by UCF – ESPN3
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 – 7 p.m. ET