Final Stats

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - For the second time in three matches, UCF overcame a one-goal deficit to notch victory. Senior Hadji Barry and sophomore Matias Pyysalo registered goals to lift the Knights, 2-1, over Stetson on Tuesday at the UCF Soccer Complex.

"I am proud of how the guys rebounded after a difficult loss against Tulsa on Saturday," head coach Bryan Cunningham. "After going down a goal, the team showed its resiliency by battling back, tying the game, wining it in the second half and having multiple chances to make it 3-1 or 4-1. Their fight was spectacular tonight."

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PYYSALO'S GAMEWINNER
- A foul by the Hatters in the 67th minute provided the Knights with an opportunity from 21-yards out just to the left of the goal.
- Basic touched the before Pyysalo registered a wonderful strike that found the upper 90 to put the Knights on top, 2-1.
- It was the fifth goal of the campaign for the Helsinki, Finland, native.

"I called it before he [Pyysalo] kicked it," Barry said. "We practice kicking from that spot every day in practice. It was good for him to gain some confidence."

BARRY'S EQUALIZER
- In the 18th minute, Barry dribbled around a defender and hit a phenomenal shot from about 25-yards out that beat the keeper low to the far post.
- The Rochester, N.Y., native tallied his team-leading eighth goal of the campaign.

"I thought the reaction to our own turnover was spectacular," Cunningham said. "Mason, instead of giving up on the play, ran back 30 yards and won the ball back. We had 15-or-more passes that led to that goal, which is what we have been working on: extending our possession, wearing our opponent down and making the right passes."

STETSON STRIKES FIRST
- Stetson scored in the ninth minute on a cross from the right wing that found a Hatter, who hit the post, and Sebastian Contreras on the rebound scored into the open net.
- It was the third-straight match the Knights have conceded the first goal.

STRONG BACK LINE
- Just over a minute after the Stetson goal, the Hatters' Daniel O'Brien dribbled around the keeper near the right sideline and his on-target shot was cleared by sophomore Neico Regent on the goal line to keep it a one-goal contest.
- Freshman Brendan Rennie made his first-career start in goal for the Knights and made six saves to earn the victory.

"The game is 90 minutes, so there are of course going to be mistakes," Regent said. "As a defender, I just try to keep the momentum going and my team in the game."

NEXT UP
- The Knights return to play in The American on Saturday at UConn with the match set to get underway at 7 p.m.
- UCF is back home on Oct. 24 with a 7 p.m. contest against Memphis.

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