Men's Soccer Looks To Build Momentum Back In Conference Play

Saturday, October 8

Memphis, Tenn.

7:00 PM

University of Memphis

UCF

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Men's Soccer Looks To Build Momentum Back In Conference Play

Oct 07, 2016 | Men's Soccer

Tigers return home for a conference match against UCF Saturday

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis men's soccer team looks to build momentum this weekend against UCF after collecting a 2-0 shutout at Lipscomb Wednesday. The Tigers welcome the Knights Saturday evening for a 7 p.m. kick-off at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Alumni Weekend for Memphis men's soccer is also being celebrated at Saturday's match.

"We're back at home and UCF comes in after a big win against SMU (last week)," said head coach Richard Mulrooney. "They're going to be confident but I know at the same time we are going to be as well."

GAME 12 INFORMATION:
Saturday, October 8 | 7 p.m. CT
UCF at Memphis
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Venue: Mike Rose Soccer Complex
Twitter Updates: @MemphisMSoccer
Watch | Live Stats

The Tigers come into the match on Saturday with a 6-4-1 overall record and 0-1-1 mark in American Athletic Conference play. Memphis looks to garner its first conference victory and gain three points in the standings. The top four squads in the league qualify for the conference tournament in November, so every point earned is crucial.

Against the Bisons, Jackson Morse and Mason Morise each scored. As a freshman, Morse scored his team-leading fourth goal and Morise's goal was his second this year. Morse and Morise are two of the four Memphis players with multiple goals scored this year.

Memphis has been able to spread around the wealth of goal-scoring this year. In all, 10 different players have scored for the Tigers and the team has outscored its opponents 17-13 in 2016.

Junior goalkeeper Jake Leeker continues to lower his goals against average after posting his fifth solo shutout against Lipscomb. For the year, his goals against average is 1.17 and his save percentage is at .797. The six victories for Leeker is the most he has had in a year.

UCF is also coming off of a non-conference midweek victory against Big Ten foe Northwestern. The Knights defeated the Wildcats at home by a score of 1-0. Prior to that match, UCF earned its first AAC victory against SMU on Oct. 1. The Knights defeated SMU by a score of 1-0.

Overall, the Knights are 3-5-0 on the year and 1-1-0 in conference play. This will be the first conference match where UCF has traveled on the road.

Matias Pyysalo leads the team in scoring with five goals and three assists. He owns 12 shots on goal and is the apparent threat for the Knights squad. Richard Amon is the only other player with at least two goals on the team. Matt Rosenberg has spent all but 90 minutes in goal this year and has a 1.43 goals against average and a .545 save percentage.

UCF has posted two shutouts this season, and those shutouts were the last two matches played.

Kick-off against the Knights is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Memphis will then have a week off before hosting SMU on Oct. 15. Admission is free at the MRSC and fans unable to be in attendance can watch the game on the Memphis Tiger Network. The first 100 fans into MRSC Saturday will receive a vuvuzela.