Amanda Cromwell Archives | şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą News Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More Fri, 09 Feb 2024 16:54:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/blogs.dir/20/files/2019/05/cropped-logo-150x150.png Amanda Cromwell Archives | şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą News 32 32 Life Lessons While on the Road During Coronavirus /news/life-lessons-while-on-the-road-during-coronavirus/ Thu, 16 Apr 2020 13:58:42 +0000 /news/?p=108531 UCF alum Megan Fish ’15 and former UCF soccer coach Amanda Cromwell are camping inĚý˛ąĚývan as they cautiously drive from Florida back home to Los Angeles.

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Nearly a year ago, Megan Fish ’15 adopted a nomadic lifestyle while she worked for film production company, Square Zero Films. She bought a green 2004 Ford Econoline-350 with 140,000 miles on the odometer, outfitted it with all the necessities of a home and started splitting her time between van-living and couch surfing, bent on chasing the endless summer and meaningful experiences with loved ones.

She didn’t realize it at the time, but she made the ultimate home for proper social distancing to weather the storm of a global pandemic.

Now she is camping her way through a cross-country road trip with former UCF women’s soccer/current UCLA women’s soccer coach Amanda Cromwell as they slowly travel back home from Florida to Los Angeles.

This is their story.

Megan Fish and Amanda Cromwell cook a fish outside
Megan Fish (left) and Amanda Cromwell (right) have been on the road together for about a month and fill their days by listening to audio books, exercising and fishing for dinner.
How They Began Traveling Together

Fish: I initially drove out to the East Coast from California in early February because I had this idea — I wanted to tell the stories about all the women coaches who have inspired me. It was going to be called “She in Me.” Most of them live on łŮłó±đĚýEast Coast. But then all this happened.

Cromwell: I was in Bradenton, Florida, for my [coaching certification] A-license course and planned on staying longer because my mom was in Sarasota.ĚýFish was in Jacksonville, so I told her to come over.ĚýThen coronavirus happened and everything hit the fan.

Fish: I had planned to drive back to California in June, so I figured, “Alright, I might as well go now when I don’t have a job.” There’s no work coming in right now with everything canceled.

Life just said, “You’re going to go across the country now — and take your time.”

Cromwell: I was going to fly back because I needed to take care of my dog, but my friend called needing a place to live. Now I had someone to take care of Bailey, and there really was no rush in getting back.

Fish: It’s crazy how all of it worked out.ĚýLife just said, “You’re going to go across the country now — and take your time.”

Megan Fish holds a package of toilet paper to the sky in front of her van
Like everywhere else, toilet paper can be hard to find right now while on the road.
The Journey

They left Sarasota on March 18 and stopped in Jacksonville to pick up Fish’s bike and łŮłó±đĚýsurfboards she had left behind.Ěý°Őłó±đ˛âĚýcontinued to Lake Lanier in GeorgiaĚý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýthen stopped at family properties in Asheville, North Carolina; Deep Creek Lake, Maryland; NashvilleĚý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýParis, Tennessee. They shared their story while fishing on a boat on Kentucky Lake at sunset.Ěý

Fish: California is pretty locked down at the moment, so it’s not the best time to rush back, and we’re waiting for it to warm up a little bit in the west. There’s no insulation in the van, so warm weather is key.

The van hasĚý˛ąĚýfull-size bed. Underneath is storage. The middle of the van is the living room and kitchen. I have a two-burner stove and pantry. The cooler sits between the driver and passenger seats. On top of the van, I built a platform that kind of acts like a balcony to hang out on. We have a toilet, so it’s fully livable. We haven’t used the shower yet but if we needed to, it’s a 3-gallon pressure pump shower so we could do it that way. It’s comfort living. Before I had this, I stayed in a Subaru that I built out, so it was really tight in that.

Cromwell: She named the van Jade Cruz.

Fish: Yes, her name is Jade Cruz. The first trip I took it on was in Sedona, and I met two awesome guys who really just were the highlight of that trip, so I named it after them. I think being on the road, you don’t have your tight-knit community as much, but I love people and I love their stories.ĚýSo it spurs me to talk to people and be open to strangers and give them the space to be them and hear them. I just want to show people that someone cares and they are seen, and I want them to see for themselves how rad they are.

Like today, I met a nice woman at the grocery store.

Cromwell: She wanted to teach Megan how to bag groceries.

Fish: You just realize how impactful those little interactions are when you don’t have that many. You feed off of them. Which is particularly true right now.ĚýLife kind of paused, so we’re trying to make the most of it.ĚýIt’s been really nice to do that, and I think we’re all seeing that play out with how łŮłó±đĚýrest of the world is reacting with the isolation in finding ways to connect and be together.

sunset
Some of their best moments on the road have been watching sunsets. Fish says, “Life kind of paused, so we’re trying to make the most of it.”
Learning Experiences

They have continued their journey to Colorado and eventually will make their way through Utah and Nevada before reaching their destination.Ěý°ä°ů´Çłľ·É±đ±ô±ôĚýchecks in with her players and keeps up with her head coaching duties at UCLA through Zoom calls, virtual calendars and łŮłó±đĚýHousepartyĚý˛ą±č±č.Ěý°Őłó±đ˛â’r±đ filling the rest of their days by listening to audio books, exercising, fishing for dinner and playing a lot of soccer tennis,Ěý˛ąĚýgame Cromwell often uses with her student-athletes during training sessions to help hone their footwork by volleying a soccer ball over a net.ĚýCromwell would like for it to be known that she owns their on-going series, 8-2. Fish would like for it to be known that all the scores are close.Ěý

Cromwell: I’ve done a cross-country trip once before with [UCF alum, World Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist] Michelle Akers. We drove from Orlando to Seattle right after the ’99 World Cup, I think.

Fish: I’ve only done it solo, so it’s a totally different experience doing it with somebody.ĚýWe make a good team.

Cromwell: I don’t have much camping experience other than going to Mexico with some friends from L.A.ĚýSo I know how to put up a tent and make a fire.ĚýAnd I know how to drive a boat and fish.

Fish: My family grew up on a lake. On the Fourth of July, my uncle would fish fry.ĚýSo I know how to clean it and skin it.

Cromwell: I don’t know how to do that, but I know how to grill.ĚýSo yeah, we do make a good team. While on this trip, one thing I’ve learned about Fish is she can do a lot of things. She has the survival mindset. She changed the oil in her car. I’ve never done that. I’ve never wanted to do that.

Fish: You’ve got to when you’re in a van. I YouTube everything. Learning guitar? YouTube. Changing oil? YouTube. Painting my car? YouTube.

I’ve done the road stuff for a while.ĚýI learn so much about myself.ĚýI’ve gotten testy one time on the trip. In the car.ĚýAnd usually I’m very self-sufficient or don’t want anybody’s help in that way.ĚýI could feel it building.

Cromwell: But I got her out of it.

Fish: She did.ĚýI just needed to call it out. I was like, “I’m frustrated.” I just need to get away from everyone.ĚýBut she made me laugh, we went on a run together and then it totally diffused. It showed me you don’t always have to do it on your own to get out of bad spaces.ĚýI’ve had an awesome friend to share this with. We talk about the weight of everything that’s going on. We laugh about random things together.ĚýThis has been a good learning experience in a lot of ways.

There’s a lot of stuff going down that nobody planned for or wanted or can control. We aren’t doing any of the things we’re used to.ĚýBut we’re just rolling with it, and I think that’s why we’re enjoying the experience.

Cromwell: There are challenging times, for sure, but I’m very grateful for this opportunity. If I was back in L.A., I’d be fine at home, but probably a little more worried than I am currently. Because right now I’m on a boat on a lake. It’s sunset. There’s no one out here but us. How is this real life right now? I’ve been able to see my family. I just had a Zoom call with my friends from high school. Normally that quality time only happens around the holidays. This definitely taught me to take your opportunity when you have it. If Megan wasn’t there and said, “Hey, I’m going to drive back,” I would have flown back that week and wouldn’t be having these experiences.

Fish: We listened to a talk that her friend, Cori Close, during the Power of Positive summit. She coaches UCLA women’s basketball. One of her big things was how events happen and what’s your response? And your response determines the outcome. I felt like that was so appropriate. It’s extremely relevant right now. There’s a lot of stuff going down that nobody planned for or wanted or can control. We aren’t doing any of the things we’re used to.ĚýBut we’re just rolling with it, and I think that’s why we’re enjoying the experience.

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Fish-Cromwell-camping Megan-Fish-Fishtales-Coronavirus Coronavirus-sunset Some of their best moments on the road have been watching sunsets. Fish says, "Life kind of paused, so we’re trying to make the most of it."
Women’s Soccer: Cromwell Selected as NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year /news/womens-soccer-cromwell-selected-as-nscaa-central-region-coach-of-the-year/ Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:22:02 +0000 /news/?p=44081 UCF coach earns the honor for the second time in her career.

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UCF women’s soccer head coach Amanda Cromwell was named the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year on Thursday. Cromwell earned the award for the second time in her career after guiding the Knights to their first Conference USA Tournament championship and the highest national ranking in two decades.

Cromwell, who earned the honor in 2009, led UCF to a 17-5-2 record this season and its sixth-straight appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Under her leadership, the Knights were nationally ranked all season, including two weeks at No. 6 for UCF’s best standing since 1992.

UCF finished the year ranked among the top-25 nationally for goals-against average (.524, No. 2); shutout percentage (.625, No. 4), scoring offense (2.25, No. 18); and won-lost-tied percentage (.750, No. 24). The team set the school and Conference USA record with its 15 shutouts this year.

Several of Cromwell’s student-athletes received high praise during the year. The team collected six all-conference honors, Marissa Diggs was selected as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and as an All-American, and Tishia Jewell made history as the first Knight to earn the prestigious Senior CLASS Award.

Cromwell also earned her 200th victory as UCF’s head coach in the regular season finale. With 224 career victories and a .681 winning percentage, she currently ranks among the top-25 winningest active coaches and the top-30 all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history.

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Women’s Soccer: A UCF First /news/womens-soccer-a-ucf-first/ Sat, 01 Dec 2012 20:15:46 +0000 /news/?p=43761 Her collegiate career may be over, but UCF women’s soccer forward Tishia Jewell is still making history. Jewell was named the winner of the Senior CLASS Award on Friday, besting the 10 national finalists to become the first Knight to earn the honor.

The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I women’s soccer coaches, national soccer media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in women’s soccer. The student-athlete must boast notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

“I want to thank all the people who supported me and voted for me during the season,” Jewell said. “It represents not only my athletic career, but my life as a part of the UCF and in the community. I am also honored to leave C-USA and UCF with this accomplishment.”

Jewell is the second Conference USA student-athlete in any sport to win the award as Memphis women’s soccer’s Lizzy Simonin was bestowed the honor last year. Jewell was selected as one of 30 candidates for the award in mid-September and made the cut to 10 finalists a month later as Florida’s only women’s soccer representative.

The Satellite Beach native was the fan favorite in the online poll by claiming 24.18 percent of the vote.

“This award is very prestigious, and it is awesome that it recognizes student-athletes not only in their achievements on the field, but off the field as well,” UCF head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “Tishia’s academics and contribution to society have been a relevant part of her experience here at UCF. Compared to a lot of student-athletes around the country, she set herself apart, but she was in great company with the list of finalists. It’s a very special award for a special student-athlete.”

Jewell finished her career as one of the most decorated women soccer players in school history, both on the field and in the classroom.

She has been honored as an NSCAA All-American, a two-time All-Central Region selection and Soccer America MVP. Jewell was a force in C-USA as a three-time all-conference honoree and the 2010 offensive player of the year.

In 2012, she became the program’s career assists (36) leader. She shined in the postseason as she buried a 45-yard goal against Memphis, assisted the game-winning goal against SMU and helped UCF top Tulsa 2-0 during the C-USA Tournament to clinch UCF’s first conference tournament championship.

In the NCAA Tournament first round, she connected on the team’s first PK attempt in its shootout against Miami to help the Knights advance to the second round for the sixth-consecutive year. As a team captain, she helped lead the team to its highest national ranking (No. 6) in the past two decades this season.

Her academic resume speaks for itself as Jewell earned her associate’s degree with honors prior to enrolling at UCF in 2009. She has already graduated with a bachelor’s of science in psychology and began pursuing two master’s degrees in fall 2011. Since her graduate work started, she has carried a GPA of 3.75. She was named UCF’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011.

She has been recognized as a NSCAA/Adidas Collegiate Scholar All-American, a three-time selection to the C-USA Academic Honor Roll and earned the Commissioner’s Medal (GPA of 3.75 or better) in 2011. This year, she was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team for the second-straight year.

Jewell has volunteered countless hours at numerous local organizations including: The Haven for Children (for abused and neglected youth); Szuba Guardian Care Solutions, Inc.; Women’s Center in Brevard; and Relay for Life. She has also served as the lead volunteer at the Creative School for Children and has worked as a volunteer coach at the Central Florida Kraze soccer fields.

Senior CLASS First-Team All-Americans

  • Amber Brooks, North Carolina
  • Tara Campbell, Duke
  • Tishia Jewell, UCF
  • Lindsi Lisonbee Cutshall, Brigham Young
  • Mariah Nogueria, Stanford
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    Women’s Soccer: Advance to Face Gators /news/womens-soccer-advance-to-face-gators/ /news/womens-soccer-advance-to-face-gators/#comments Sun, 11 Nov 2012 03:57:24 +0000 /news/?p=42998 A late goal by Ashley Nicol helped UCF rally in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

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    The No. 18 UCF women’s soccer team kicked off the NCAA Tournament with a bang Saturday night as the Knights rallied from a 1-0 deficit to top Miami in penalty kicks, 5-3, at the UCF Soccer Complex.

    UCF (17-4-2) advanced to the second round for the sixth-consecutive year and will face Florida in Gainesville on Friday at a yet-to-be-announced time.

    Late heroics by defender Ashley Nicol, who scored her sixth goal of the season off a diving header with less than six minutes in regulation, sent the match to overtime. UCF topped Miami in overtime earlier this season, but neither team budged an inch Saturday through 20 minutes of extra play, forcing a shootout.

    Freshman Allie Gerry put the game away with UCF’s last penalty kick as fans erupted on the sideline and her teammates piled around her in euphoria.

    “I was very impressed with the PKs. They all tucked in nicely,” UCF head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “To battle like we did, that game was tough in a lot of ways. Miami is a very athletic team with a very long throw-in that causes a lot of problems.”

    Although Nicolette Radovcic nearly put UCF on the scoreboard in the first five minutes with a 1v1 opportunity with UM’s keeper, Miami would end up striking first.

    The Hurricanes snapped the Knights’ seven-match shutout streak when Shannon McCarthy’s long throw in found Kate Howarth inside the box. She headed it on to Ally Andreini on the far post, and Andreini headed it in for a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute.

    The Knights got a jolt of life with their first corner kick in the 32nd minute as Andrea Rodrigues sent a short pass to Radovcic, whose cross connected with defender Marissa Diggs on the far post, but her header was saved.

    Goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado came up with two huge saves off attempts by Howarth in the 74th minute, allowing the Knights to stay on the Canes’ heels.

    “Lianne is the reason we were still in the game, 1-0, so I can’t say enough about her play tonight,” Cromwell said.

    UCF couldn’t capitalize on several scoring opportunities in the second half until midfielder Madison Barney forwarded a ball to the far post, where Nicol sent a diving header past the keeper to tie the game 1-1 in the 84th minute.

    “During warmup, I kept hitting my headers high. Coach said you have to hit them low,” Nicol said. “So right when Madi headed it, I envisioned diving for it.”

    Radovcic had two good looks at goal during the first overtime period, but neither found the back of the net, and the teams lined up at midfield to settle the game in a shootout.

    Tishia Jewell, Jennifer Martin, Nicol and Radovcic all finished their attempts with finesse to take a 4-3 advantage when Miami’s Andreini stepped up for her attempt. Her shot hit the crossbar, and Gerry came out on top to end the game and keep UCF’s postseason alive.

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    Women’s Soccer: Diggs Named Defensive Player of the Year /news/womens-soccer-diggs-named-defensive-player-of-the-year/ Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:12:17 +0000 /news/?p=42639 UCF Earns Six All-Conference Honors

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    On the eve of the Conference USA Tournament, six members of the UCF women’s soccer team were honored as All-Conference USA selections, and junior defender Marissa Diggs was lauded as the Defensive Player of the Year. Diggs, who was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, becomes the first Knight since Jennifer Manis in 2007 to win the award.

    Diggs was joined by senior forward Nicolette Radovcic on the first team while senior forward Tishia Jewell and sophomore midfielder Madison Barney earned praise on the second team. Junior goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado was distinguished on the third team, and newcomer Sophie Howard earned a spot on the freshman team.

    UCF’s seven honors were a league high along with regular-season co-champions Colorado College and Rice.

    As a starting centerback for the Knights, Diggs anchored a defensive line that currently ranks sixth in the country for shutout percentage (.632) and eighth for goals-against average (.561). UCF has blanked 12 opponents – eight in conference play – for its best shutout total since 2004. The Knights head into the C-USA Tournament on Wednesday one shutout shy of matching the school record currently held by the 1986 squad. This is Diggs’ second-consecutive appointment to the first team.

    “Marissa is a tremendous 1v1 defender,” UCF head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “She’s so hard to beat because she’s fast but she’s also very physical. Not only does she win the ball, but she wins the ball and possesses it so she can start our attack for us.”

    Radovcic, a team captain, earned her first all-conference team distinction since she was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2009. With 11 goals so far this year, she has emerged as the Knights’ top-goal scorer for the second-consecutive season to rank second in the league and 38th in the nation. She ranks 35th in the country for game-winning goals as her four against No. 12 Miami, Dartmouth, North Florida and Tulsa have tallied her career total to nine, which ranks seventh all-time at UCF. She leads an offensive attack that ranks first in the conference for points (141), goals (47) and assists (47).

    UCF’s Senior CLASS Award finalist, Jewell, picked up the third all-conference honor of her career. She currently tops the league and sits 18th in the nation for assists (9) and also ranks fourth in C-USA for game-winning goals (3). With 34 career assists, she is one away from matching UCF’s all-time record leader. She ranks second for the Knights in total points (21) and has been named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.

    “Tish is coming on really strong as of late. She’s a really good creator and playmaker, and Nic has been consistent throughout the year leading us in goal scoring,” Cromwell said.

    As a starting defensive midfielder for the Knights, Barney earned the first all-conference award of her career Tuesday. She has been a reliable asset for the team this year and shined in the UCF Tournament as the Defensive MVP after assisting the game-winning goal against Dartmouth, which garnered her the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week award. She added two more assists during conference play against Houston and Southern Miss.

    Coming into the season, Maldonado had the task of replacing All-American goalkeeper Aline Reis between the posts. She has started every match in 2012 and has organized a defense that sits atop the league for goals allowed (11), goals-against average and shutouts. Her .63 goals-against average ranks third in C-USA, 23rd in the country and is currently on pace to rank among UCF’s top-10 single-season leaders.

    “Madi is just a solid player in every category – possession, ball-winning, heading. She’s very consistent and the other teams noticed the hard work she puts in,” Cromwell said. “It was great that Lianne was recognized because we don’t give up a lot of shots on goal or corners, so sometimes our goalkeepers don’t have a whole lot to do. But when she did, she came up big, and other teams notice she’s a very quality keeper.”

    Rounding up the league honors is Howard, who joined the team just before conference play after representing Germany in the U-20 FIFA World Cup in Japan. The midfielder worked her way into starting lineup in her second appearance and has started ever since. She boasts the most points (8) by a freshman on the team with two assists and three goals, which includes the goal versus East Carolina that capped the sixth-fastest scoring sequence (1:37) of three-consecutive goals in NCAA history.

    “Sophie could have easily been on an all-conference team, not just the freshman team,” Cromwell said. “She has come in and scored important goals at the right time.”

    This group along with the rest of the Knights will travel to El Paso, Texas, for their first-round matchup against sixth-seeded and defending champion Memphis at 9 p.m. ET. UCF hopes to close its final chapter in C-USA by claiming its first tournament title.

    The Knights have been seeded third once before, in the 2008 tournament when they advanced to the semifinals. UCF has advanced to the title game three times (2007, 2009 and 2010) and has faced Memphis in each of those matches.

    “The training has been good and the energy is high. I can tell we are ready,” Cromwell said. “It’s tournament time and we are geared up for that. We like how the bracket has panned out. We always want to play a team that beat us during the year.”

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    Women’s Soccer: Win No. 200 for Coach /news/womens-soccer-win-no-200-for-coach/ Sat, 27 Oct 2012 14:52:57 +0000 /news/?p=42477 UCF secures No. 3 seed in C-USA Tournament.

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    Friday night’s regular-season finale was business as usual for the No. 20 UCF women’s soccer team, which rolled to its fourth-straight shutout victory in a 4-0 decision at Southern Miss.

    The outcome marked a milestone for Amanda Cromwell, who earned her 200th victory as UCF’s head coach and 220th career win.

    “It was a nice surprise and it’s something I didn’t even know it was on the horizon to tell you the truth,” Cromwell said. “Josh (Walters) announced it in our post-game huddle and the players were excited for me. I thanked them for playing well, and really, it was a team effort all-around — the whole staff is a part of this milestone. It’s not just me.”

    With their win over the Golden Eagles (4-12-1, 1-9-0), the Knights (14-4-1, 8-3-0) locked up the most shutouts in a season (12) since 2004 and are one shy of matching the school record held by the 1986 squad.

    UCF will head to the Conference USA Tournament as the No. 3 seed and is scheduled to face sixth-seeded Memphis in the opening round. Memphis defeated the Knights 2-1 in the conference-season opener earlier this year.

    Forward Jennifer Martin headed in the first goal at the 6-minute mark off an assist from senior Tishia Jewell.

    Nearly eight minutes later, midfielder Madison Barney sent a ball over the top to forward Nicolette Radovcic, who put the ball away for her 11th score of the season.

    Two Knights recorded their first-career goals after halftime.

    Kayla Darden connected with Tyler Law for the first goal of her career in the 58th minute when she left-footed a ball into the corner of the net.

    Defender Bianca Joswiak sent a cross from the end line to Alex Piercy in the 86th minute to cap the match at 4-0.

    UCF held Southern Miss to no corners and one shot on goal, which Lianne Maldonado saved in the first 45 minutes of play.

    “I feel like we’re peaking at the right time. Unfortunately, we weren’t in control of our own destiny tonight, but either way, the team feels good about how we’re playing right now,” Crowmell said. “We’re looking forward to next week and we feel confident and excited headed into the tournament.”

    The Knights travel to El Paso, Texas, in quest of their first tournament title with the 9 p.m. ET opening-round matchup Wednesday. The championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. ET and will be aired live on the CBS Sports Network. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be streamed through the C-USA All-Access package on www.ConferenceUSA.com.

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    Women’s Soccer Blanks Third Straight Opponent /news/womens-soccer-blanks-third-straight-opponent/ Mon, 22 Oct 2012 01:41:01 +0000 /news/?p=42210 Leave it to the No. 21 UCF women’s soccer team to top its impressive Friday night 7-0 win by cruising to another dominant victory Sunday for its third-straight shutout. The Knights (13-4-0, 7-3-0) sent off their senior class with a 5-0 victory over Marshall (7-10-1, 2-6-1) while donning special pink jerseys in honor of breast cancer awareness month.

    To recap the weekend, the Knights netted 12 goals, outshot their opponents 44-6 and limited the Pirates and the Herd to two corners combined. In addition, senior Tishia Jewell tied the program’s career record for shots with 229.

    “I think now we have good momentum, and we just want to keep it going and show teams the best we can be,” Jewell said.

    Added defender Ashley Nicol: “From here on out, every day is senior day.”

    Forward Jennifer Martin gave the Knights a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when Carleigh Williams sent a free kick into the box where Martin placed a header just below the crossbar for her second game-winner of the year.

    Forty-three seconds later, UCF capitalized off another header – this time from Nicol. Jewell played a ball to midfielder Andrea Rodrigues, who delivered a cross from the left side to Nicol for the score.

    Kayla Darden increased the lead to 3-0 just before halftime when Zoe Hayes sent her a pass from midfield, allowing Darden to send a low-driven ball to the far post past the keeper.

    Forward Kristina Trujic notched her second goal of the weekend in the 60th minute while inside the box thanks to a double-assist from Nicol and Jewell.

    Senior forward Nicolette Radovcic wrapped up the match nicely in the 83rd minute after classmate Bianca Joswiak sent her a ball, which she flicked around the defender inside the box and put it past the keeper for her 10th goal of the year.

    “The attack has been great — a lot of movement and creativity up top,” UCF head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “The seniors came up big in a lot of different ways with assists, playmaking and goals. Getting the shutout was huge, as well.”

    The four seniors left the game with five minutes remaining to rousing applause from the crowd and entered a receiving line of hugs on the sideline.

    UCF will play its final match of the regular season Friday at 5 p.m. at Southern Miss. The Knights closed their home schedule with a 9-2 record at the UCF Soccer Complex. The pink jerseys will be auctioned online via UCFAthletics.com.

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    Women’s Soccer Earns Highest National Ranking in 20 Years /news/womens-soccer-claims-highest-national-ranking-in-20-years/ Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:38:25 +0000 /news/?p=40728 The UCF women’s soccer team climbed to its highest national ranking in two decades on Tuesday, claiming the No. 6 spot in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and Continental Tire Poll. The Knights have ranked among the country’s top 10 for four-consecutive weeks.

    “This team is very good, and our success this season says a lot about our players, who are stepping up and playing hard,” UCF head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “We’re dangerous in a lot of different ways. Our All-American forward has scored one goal this season. If you would have told me we were going to be 5-1-1, and was only going to have scored one goal at this point, I would have said you’re nuts. It says a lot about , Kristina Trujic,  and all the attacking players around her that are doing some great things. As for the defense, we’ve had multiple shutouts and I think our back line has played some of their best defense since I’ve been here. We’re a tough team to break down.”

    During the 1992 season, UCF was ranked as high as sixth in the Intercollegiate Soccer Coaches Association of America (ISAA) poll, which is now the NSCAA rankings. The program’s all-time highest ranking in the regular season was No. 3 during 1982 – the same year that the team finished as the runner-up in the national championship.

    UCF is the second-highest ranked program in the state of Florida as Florida State sits at No. 1. Regionally, the Knights are one of the best at No. 2 in the NSCAA Central Region behind Oklahoma State, which is ranked seventh nationally.

    UCF is riding a four-game unbeaten streak and has held its own with some of the nation’s best competition. The Knights’ only loss this season was a 1-0 decision to the top-ranked Seminoles, and they tied now-No. 5 Boston College in double overtime in their most recent outing Sunday.

    The Knights will close their non-conference schedule Friday when they take on North Florida at 5 p.m. as part of a home doubleheader with the men’s team, which is scheduled to kick off against Jacksonville at 7:30 p.m.

    Season tickets are available for UCF’s remaining home games, beginning at $30. A complimentary soccer scarf comes with each purchase. The Gold Pass, which includes season tickets to all volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and track and field contests, is also available now. For more information and to place an order, call the UCF Ticket Office at (407) UCF-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.

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    Women’s Soccer: OT Win Over Georgia /news/womens-soccer-ot-win-over-georgia/ Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:20:59 +0000 /news/?p=40391 UCF All-American forward Tishia Jewell picked the perfect moment to score her first goal of the 2012 season Sunday afternoon. Jewell netted the golden goal with 31 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the No. 9 women’s soccer team to a 1-0 win over Georgia in the final game of the UCF Tournament.

    Jewell capitalized on a free kick opportunity reminiscent of junior Ashley Nicol’s insurance goal in Friday’s win over Dartmouth.

    “She came through,” UCF head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “She’s very dangerous on those. Obviously set plays are huge for us with Ash scoring on Friday on a free kick. Our girls were ready to score. I think we dominated that game in many areas, and Georgia’s coach after the game was very classy and said, `You guys deserved it.'”

    For her efforts, Jewell was named the tournament’s offensive most valuable player. UCF defender Madison Barney, who helped the Knights secure two shutouts this weekend, was named the tournament’s defensive MVP. The pair joined senior forward Nicolette Radovcic and junior defender Ashley Nicol on the all-tournament team.

    Meeting for the first time since 1998, UCF (5-1-0) and Georgia (4-2-0) played through a scoreless 90 minutes despite the Knights’ numerous chances at the net. UCF out-shot the Bulldogs 20-6, as 14 of those shots came on goal.

    Time and again, Georgia goalkeeper Ashley Baker managed to find her way in front of the ball, notching eight saves in the first period, another four in the second period and one in overtime.

    “I think (the win) shows that we grind it out as a team,” Jewell said. “We had chances to put the game away and we didn’t finish them, but we kept going until we got one.”

    Battling not only the Bulldogs, but sun and fatigue as well, UCF finally broke through with less than a minute remaining in the extra period when the Knights drew a foul for a free-kick opportunity just outside the left corner of the box.

    As Jewell lined up for the shot, Cromwell knelt on the sidelines and said she told assistant coach Joshua S. Walters, Sr., that now would be the perfect time for the senior to score her first goal of the year.

    Baker got a hand on Jewell’s attempt on the goal line but wasn’t able to hang onto the ball, and the Knights walked away with their first win over Georgia in program history. In the process, UCF extended its winning-streak to three-straight games and improved its record to 2-0 in overtime contests this year.

    The Knights will travel to Boston College on Sept. 9 to face the Eagles for the first time since 2004.

    Season tickets are available for UCF’s remaining home games, beginning at $30. A complimentary soccer scarf comes with each purchase. The Gold Pass, which includes season tickets to all volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and track and field contests, is also available now. For more information and to place an order, call the UCF Ticket Office at (407) UCF-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.

    All-Tournament Team

  • Tishia Jewell, UCF forward, Offensive MVP
  • Madison Barney, UCF defender, Defensive MVP
  • Nicolette Radovcic, UCF forward
  • Ashley Nicol, UCF defender
  • Carli Shultis, Georgia forward
  • Susannah Dennis, Georgia midfielder
  • Torri Allen, Georgia defender
  • Aurelia Soloman, Dartmouth defender
  • Jackie Friedman, Dartmouth defender
  • Taylor Patterson, USF midfielder
  • Sharla Passariello, USF forward
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    Women’s Soccer: Black & Gold Beat Big Green /news/womens-soccer-black-gold-beat-big-green/ Sat, 01 Sep 2012 21:07:26 +0000 /news/?p=40386 The No. 9 UCF women’s soccer team secured its third shutout of the year thanks a 2-0 win over Dartmouth on Friday night at the UCF Soccer Complex. The Knights received an all-around effort from 21 players and saw goalkeepers Lianne Maldonado and Connie Organ keep their cool in the net with a combined seven saves to clinch the win.

    “It’s nice to be able to tell them they’re going to split halves, and they both performed really well,” UCF head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “I think some players came in and played really well. I think we were unlucky enough to score a third one with some of the attacking opportunities that we had. I was proud of the kids coming in off the bench.”

    With the win, the Knights (4-1-0) handed Dartmouth a loss in its first game of the season, and UCF remained undefeated against Ivy League programs with an all-time record of 5-0.

    UCF took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute when Madison Barney connected with Andrea Rodrigues in the midfield. Rodrigues sent a pass to an awaiting Nicolette Radovcic in front of Dartmouth’s net and she had no problem putting it past keeper Tatiana Saunders for her third goal of the season and second-consecutive game-winner.

    Radovcic nearly scored again in the 34th minute off an exchange with Tishia Jewell. Radovcic’s shot was blocked by a Dartmouth defender, and Saunders managed to snatch the ball while kneeling in front of the net.

    Maldonado came up with five saves of her own in the first half, including a brilliant deflection near the crossbar five minutes before the break.

    Organ started the second half in goal and was tested early as she came up with two saves in the first 15 minutes of play.

    The Knights were primed to score again in the 66th minute when Jewell forwarded a pass to a sprinting Radovcic, but she was taken down just before reaching the top of the box. The play set up a free kick for Ashley Nicol, who put one away in the top left corner of the net for her second goal of the season and a 2-0 edge.

    “Nicolette had a great attempt before she got tripped. I work on them a lot at practice so this was just another chance for me to make one,” Nicol said. “We all have certain positions where we take our free kick and that’s usually the spot where I take them, so I’m pretty confident from that spot.”

    Zoe Hayes, Alex Piercy and Katy Ling all clocked their first minutes of the season.

    UCF wraps up its four-game homestand Sunday when it faces Georgia at 2:30 p.m. following the USF-Dartmouth matchup at noon.

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