UCF Ends Season with Loss at SMU

November 8, 2014

By Nate Blythe
UCFKnights.com

Stats | Box Score

DALLAS, Texas (UCFKnights.com) - UCF, the sixth seed, fell on Saturday night to host No. 3 SMU, 4-0, in the quarterfinal round of The American Championship at Wescott Field. The Mustangs scored 10 seconds in on a penalty-kick goal and tallied three more markers before the halftime horn.

"All the credit goes to SMU. From start to finish, they were the better team," head coach Bryan Cunningham said. "We were out-worked from the kickoff and gave up an early goal to start the game. Consequently, three goals after that, and we found ourselves in a big hole at halftime. It was way too much for us to overcome."

Damian Rosales from SMU (10-5-2) scored consecutive goals on counter-attack breakaways in the 10th and 33rd minute to extend the Mustangs lead to 3-0. The first goal was tallied by John Lujano via a penalty kick, while Anthony Jeffries scored 43 seconds before the half on a header off a corner kick struck by Jared Rice.

The Knights (2-10-6) were paced offensively by sophomore Fernando Laverde with three shots on goal. The best chance for him came in the 54th minute of the second half after junior Romario Williams, who tallied three shots, hit the post, but the rebound that came to Laverde was pushed wide of the near post with a defender bearing down on him.

"We have to learn and grow from this result and the challenging season that we had," Cunningham said. "As I told the players in the locker room after the game, we have to make this right. A lot of alumni that came before these guys had this team at a top-25 level. It is our job to get back there and that is what we are going to spend the off season doing."

Both teams fired 11 shots, but the Mustangs held a 7-to-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Knights tallied seven second-half shots and five corner kicks.

Sophomore Zach Biggs made three saves during the contest. His counterpart, Michael Nelson, notched his fifth shutout of the season with four stops.

The contest served as the final UCF match for seniors Leonardo Ayala, Anton Sealey and Jake Weiss.

UCF presented by Napleton's Volkswagen conclude the regular season with a 2-10-6 record and a sixth-place finish in The American.