Tigers Host UCF in First Round of AAC Championship

Sunday, October 31

Memphis, Tenn.

12 p.m.

University of Memphis

UCF

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Oct 30, 2021 | Women's Soccer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The 3-seed Memphis Tigers will open their ninth consecutive season in the American Athletic Conference postseason when they welcome the 6-seed Knights of UCF to town on Sunday afternoon.

Memphis (11-4-1, 5-3-0 AAC) is coming off a statement win over No. 14 SMU where they scored four goals in the final 45 minutes of action to cruise to a 5-0 win.

Haylee Spray scored the opening goal for the Tigers in the 33' of play when she sent a rocket to the goal from the top of the box that snuck it's way past the SMU goalkeeper to give Memphis the 1-0 lead. Jocelyn Alonzo, Momo Nakao and Grace Stordy (2) would all net goals in the second half of the match to further extend their lead out. Spray, Alonzo and Stordy would all be recognized by the AAC for their efforts on the field as the Defensive, Rooke and Offensive Players of the Week, respectively.

UCF (8-6-1, 3-4-1 AAC) is coming off a 3-1 loss to Cincinnati that saw the Bearcats take an early 2-0 lead off goals from Vanessa DiNardo and Grace Wolber in the 11' and 19' of action. Kristen Scott would net her 10^th goal of the season in the 55' to put the Knights down 2-1, but Taylor Nuncio would cap off the game with Cincinnati's third goal of the match and put the Knights just out of reach of making a comeback.

The Tigers and Knights met back in late September in Orlando, Fla. where Memphis got goals from Mackenzie Bray and Momo Nakaoto claim the 2-1 win. While the Tiger's offense was hot, their defense played a big role in their win after holding UCF to just two shots on-goal the entire match.

Memphis has seen great success over the Knights in recent history; along with their win over UCF earlier this season, they are currently on a four-game winning streak that dates back to the 2018 season.

Sunday's first round of the American Athletic Conference Championship is scheduled to kick-off at 12 p.m. at the Track & Soccer Complex. Live stats will be available at gotigersgo.com with a broadcast of the match available on ESPN+.

The winner of Sunday's match will play against Houston in the semi-final round of the AAC Championship in Tampa, Fla.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Soccer, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.