Their mentality? Don’t tell us the odds.

“I told the team from the very beginning, no successful team goes through any journey that is easy. This is part of our journey,” UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak says. “How are we going to respond to this? You have the ability to go out there and play for them. Believe in how good you are. Visualize doing great things and the rest will follow.”

From that point on, the Knights closed the regular season with a nine-match unbeaten streak, helping them clinch the No. 7 seed and hosting rights in the NCAA Tournament.

UCF will hold a first-round game on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex against Maine, who just won its third-straight America East championship title.

The Knights are one of a conference-record eight teams from the Big 12 selected to participate in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

“After what we went through on a weekly basis in the Big 12 this year — a historical year with how many teams earned postseason bids — what excites me as we head into the NCAA Tournament is we’ve seen the best in the country. We are part of that,” Roberts Sahaydak says. “Obviously it’s one game at a time, and that starts with Maine, but the team should be feeling really confident because they are prepared from the physical and tactical and mental tests they’ve had all season.”

UCF’S NCAA Tournament History

This year’s postseason appearance will mark UCF’s first as a member of the Big 12 Conference and first since 2022 when the Knights advanced to the tournament’s second round.

Friday’s home match will mark the 11th time that UCF has hosted an NCAA Tournament First Round competition and the program’s first since 2017.

In all, it will be the program’s 23rd all-time appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship. UCF ranks among the NCAA’s top 25 winningest teams nationally since the inception of Division I women’s soccer in 1982.

Tickets/Broadcast Info

General admission tickets are $10 and can be at ucfknights.com. The first 100 UCF students with valid UCF ID will receive free entry (first come, first serve). Stadium gates open at 6 p.m.

The match will air on ESPN+.

Head women’s soccer coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak won an Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer in 1996. Head women’s track and field coach Jeanette Bolden was a member of the gold-medal winning 4×100-meter relay team in 1984. Assistant track and field/cross country coach Johnny Gray won a bronze medal in the 800 meters in 1992. Bolden was also the U.S. Olympic team’s head women’s track and field coach in 2008.

They are looking forward to watching the competition over the next few weeks. There’s a good chance that seeing the competition in Rio de Janeiro, the medal presentations and the opening and closing ceremonies will bring a flood of great memories back for each of these Olympic Knights.

“It’s an experience that is so hard to put into words,” Bolden said. “It’s a feeling of ultimate accomplishment because you’ve dreamed about it, you’ve sacrificed for it. It finally came true. You’re in the opening ceremonies and you’re just in awe. That’s all you can do is say ‘Wow!’ and be in awe of walking with the USA [gear] on.”

After winning her gold medal, Sahaydak and her teammates were sent back to the locker room to change into their medal presentation uniforms. She said returning into the stadium was surreal.

“I remember coming back out on to the field, I will never forget that moment,” she said. “With all the fans in the stadium and all the cameras flickering, it looked like stars shining in the night. It’s something you dream of. It was pretty intense.”

Gray had a rather pragmatic view on the experience.

“You see all of these other countries and you’re actually representing the U.S. of A,” he said. “We go out and we have friendly competition with other parts of the country in a sport that is giving to the world. We’re sharing with the world that we don’t have to fight like we see on television. It’s about just trying to perform at the best of your abilities, and then afterwards, everybody shakes hands
at the end, we’re still human. We’re still one as a people, and we can still love and exist together. Love one another and exist together. That is the feeling that I got from the Olympics.”

While Bolden, Gray and Sahaydak all competed in the Olympics more than 20 years ago, those experiences certainly help their respective UCF programs in a number of ways.

“The culture that we have here at UCF, a lot of that has been developed through my experiences with the national team,” Sahaydak said. “We had unbelievable leadership, not just from the coaches but also from my teammates. That is where I learned my leadership skills. I rely on those experiences every day in order to be the best coach I can be.”

Gray doesn’t bring up his Olympic experience, but focuses his recruiting pitch on what UCF offers a prospective student-athlete. But that’s not to say it doesn’t come up in conversation. Gray has also coached Olympians, which can resonate with recruits.

“These kids weren’t born when I was running,” he said. “Once they find out that I’m from the Olympics, it definitely helps. That’s definitely something good to have on your resume. I say ‘Not only am I a coach, but I’ve been where you are as an athlete. I know what you’re feeling; I know what you’re going through. I know what it takes to try to win.’”

Bolden said when she talks to a student-athlete who has the ability to be an Olympian, her experience competing and coaching in the Games makes an impact.

“When I talk to them, I tell them ‘I didn’t read about the Olympics; I experienced it firsthand. That’s something that I can tell you that some of the other coaches can’t tell you,’” she said. “Being a coach in the 2008 Olympics, I can tell them what goes on from the coaching side. So yes, I definitely use that.”

For the second year in a row, Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak was named the American’s Coach of the Year. Senior Tatiana Coleman shared Offensive Player of the Year honors with UConn’s Rachel Hill; junior Connie Organ was named Goalkeeper of the Year; and senior Carleigh Williams was lauded as the Defensive Player of the Year.

In addition, the Knights earned a league best eight all-conference team nods. Coleman, Organ and Williams were first-team selections; Ashley Spivey, Jennifer Martin, and Sophie Howard were second-team honorees; and Saga Fredriksson and Hannah DeBose were named to the all-rookie team.

In her second season at the helm of UCF’s program, Roberts Sahaydak guided the Knights to another regular season conference championship. UCF, currently ranked No. 19 in the nation, stands among the top 10 in the country for W-L-T percentage (.842) this year. During the non-conference season, she guided UCF to wins over programs from the Pac-12, ACC, Big 12 and SEC.

Coleman currently sits atop the conference standings for points (33) along with Hill. Earlier this season, she posted a nine-match point scoring streak, tying the school record set in 1995. Her five-game winners this season rank among UCF’s all-time single-season leaders.

Organ owns 12 shutouts this season, good enough for second on UCF’s all-time single-season list. The three-time AAC Goalkeeper of the Week currently ranks sixth in the country for her goals-against average (.423).

Williams earned Defensive Player of the Year roughly one year after suffering a season-ending ACL injury prior to the 2013 AAC Championship. As centerback, she has led her team to 13 shutouts in its 16 wins. Moreover, the Knights have outscored their opponents 27-1 at the UCF Soccer Complex this year.

Spivey (second team) made an immediate impact for the Knights after transferring from Maryland in July. She is the team’s second-leading scorer with eight goals, including the game-winner in UCF’s quarterfinal victory over SMU.

Martin was named to the second team for the second year in a row. She stands as UCF’s third-leading scorer with five goals (three game-winners) and eight assists for 18 points.

Howard was praised for her efforts in the back alongside Williams at centerback. She leads the team in minutes this year and has helped guide the Knights to one of the nation’s best shutout percentages. The German has started in all but one of every match of her three-year career.

As for UCF’s freshmen, Fredriksson has started in 11 of 14 matches as right back for one of the nation’s stingiest defensive units. DeBose, a forward, has started in nine of UCF’s 19 matches this year and has tallied five assists.

UCF meets UConn at 5 p.m. Friday in Tampa at USF’s Corbett Stadium. The winner of Friday’s semifinal will meet either East Carolina or USF in Sunday’s championship at 11 a.m. on ESPNU The victor of the American Championship will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The selection show will air at 4:30 p.m. on ncaa.com on Nov. 10.

The Knights have earned 18 berths to the Big Dance, including an active streak of seven-consecutive appearances.

The Knights’ 2-0 win over Cincinnati in the regular season finale cemented a perfect 9-0 record at the UCF Soccer Complex this season. Moreover, UCF (15-3-0, 8-1-0 AAC) has successfully defended its home turf in 16-straight conference matches since Oct. 7, 2012.

“In preseason we talk about all of our goals for the season. One is to always be undefeated at home. We didn’t quite get that last year, so the fact that we were able to accomplish that this year with this team is a big step mentality wise,” UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said.

UCF senior forward Tatiana Coleman stole the show, accounting for both goals in UCF’s 12th shutout. She wrapped up senior weekend with three goals and an assist.

“She can get the job done by scoring goals and creating chances for the team,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “I love that she’s an emotional leader for our team and just a leader by example.”

The Knights got after it early when defender Caroline Bado booted an attempt from outside the box that was saved by Cincy keeper Kristina Utley. Coleman nearly scored in the 6th minute when her screamer hit the crossbar.

UCF broke through in the 30th minute on a set piece after Coleman drew a foul just past the Bearcats bench. Carlin Huegli’s free kick into the box first connected with Fish’s header and then found Coleman in front of the net, where she finished it off for her fifth game-winner of the year.

She waited until the 75th minute to find the back of the net again off a give-and-go exchange with junior midfielder Amanda Wilkin. She kicked it low to the far, left post past the keeper for the 2-0 win.

In UCF’s nine home matches, the Black and Gold (and sometimes Pink) outscored their opponents, 23-1, in nearly 820 minutes of playing time.

“You have a few shutouts and then it keeps rolling. That’s part of us. We talk about shutout mentality,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “Connie (Organ) holding it down for us in the back, and then a really strong back four… just really solid performances by them all year long.”

As the top seed in the American Athletic Conference Championship, UCF will host the first round and quarterfinal matches next weekend. The winner of the neutral-site contest between the No. 8 and 9 seeds at 4 p.m. on Oct. 31 will move on to face the Knights at 1 p.m. on Nov. 2.

Senior Alex Piercy played a part in both goals, scoring the first and assisting the second to extend the Knights’ win streak to 10-consecutive matches – the program’s longest such streak since 2009.

Piercy put her team on the board just before the eighth minute with her second game-winner of the season. A corner kick from senior Jennifer Martin got to junior Ashley Spivey first, and she managed to forward it on to Piercy, whose header bounced in past keeper Shauni Kerkhoff.

“It felt great. I’m not the tallest of the bunch but whenever I can get my head in front of the goal, I just focus on that,” Piercy said.

Martin nearly scored herself in the 22nd minute when her strike was tipped over the crossbar.

The Knights (13-2-0, 6-0-0 got one more in just before halftime, again off a corner. Piercy’s kick connected with freshman Bridget Callahan’s head for her third goal of the year as time was winding down.

“It was the last 30 seconds and I was just worried about getting the ball in the box. I was looking for our runners’ heads and just getting it somewhere in front of the six,” Piercy said. “Bridget made a great run in the box and got her head on it.”

Sophomore Karoline Heinze nearly added another when her shot ricocheted off a Temple defender and hit the crossbar.

But UCF’s two goals proved to be enough to clinch the win and the team’s 10th shutout of the season as well as its fourth in a row. For the fifth time this season, the Knights successfully held an opponent to zero shots on goal.

“Temple is a good team and they like to have a lot of numbers behind the ball. It could get frustrating, so I’m glad we were able to put one away early,” UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “It kind of takes the pressure off, and then we felt like we could play the way we wanted to play, which I thought we did and we continued to play well throughout the game.”

UCF continues its road trip to UConn on Sunday at noon. The Huskies were picked second in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll behind the Knights.

“We have a lot of respect for UConn. They have a great team and Rachel Hill is a special player. Played for our U.S. U20 team. She has a lot of experience,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “Defensively, we’re going to have to be really sharp and have really good cover on Sunday, but I also want us to focus on our style and be able to attack with numbers.”

UCF (11-2-0, 4-0-0 AAC) bumped up four spots from last week’s ranking as the team extended its win streak to eight-consecutive matches. As the only remaining unbeaten team, the Knights are in control of their destiny in their quest to defend their regular season championship.

UCF, which has been ranked or receiving votes in every NSCAA poll since Dec. 6, 2011, is the only American Athletic Conference program recognized among the Top 25. The Knights are ranked second – only to DePaul – in the NSCAA’s Northeast Region Top 10.

Defending NCAA champion UCLA is the NSCAA’s top-ranked team followed by Florida State, Stanford, Virginia and Florida among the top five.

In Monday’s RPI ratings, UCF maintained its standing among the top 25 for the third-straight week and currently sits at No. 21. The RPI standings rank more than 330 teams based upon their wins, losses and strength of schedule.

The Knights stand as the top-rated program outside of a “power” conference in the RPI and are ahead of a combined 44 teams from the SEC, ACC, Pac-12, Big Ten and Big 12.

UCF also climbed in Soccer America’s poll to No. 17 and TopDrawerSoccer.com’s national rankings to No. 19. A day after Connie Organ was named the American’s Goalkeeper of the Week, Top Drawer named her an honorable mention for its Team of the Week.

UCF Among NCAA Stat Leaders

Category Rank (Stat)

The victory marked the Knights’ 22nd-straight match (including conference tournaments) dating back to Oct. 14, 2012. As a result, UCF worked its way into the as the 18th program in Division I history to achieve such a milestone.

“As the game went on we did gain more confidence. Great performances off the bench. It’s great having a deep team where we can rely on everybody,” UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “Great performance, overall. We’re happy with the result, and we did grow as the game went on.”

UCF (9-2-0, 2-0 AAC) struck quickly when senior forward Tatiana Coleman dribbled down the right sideline and crossed a perfectly placed ball to a rushing Ashley Spivey, who buried it past Tulsa keeper Courtney McKeon.

Freshman forward Christina Holmes responded for Tulsa (7-4-1, 1-1-0 AAC) in the 31st minute. Despite pressure, Holmes was able to maintain control and slipped it by goalkeeper Connie Organ, who had come out to meet her.

The Knights didn’t stay behind for long. Less than two minutes later, Spivey got into the mix again when her shot was deflected, allowing senior midfielder Jennifer Martin to pick up the rebound by the left post and reclaim a 2-1 lead for UCF.

Senior Kayla Darden added to UCF’s edge just before halftime when she broke down the Hurricane defense and connected with the back of the net from 18 yards out for her first goal of the season.

Darden wasn’t finished, yet. She netted her second of the match in the 59th minute after junior midfielder Amanda Wilkin forwarded a ball to Coleman on the right side. Coleman sent it through to Darden in the box, and she bounced it off of the top of the crossbar into the back of the net.

“Darden has had a good season. She’s been in and out of the starting lineup. She came off the bench and provided a lot of energy, some toughness,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “Her first goal came off of her really battling with the outside back and defending well and created a chance for herself. We love to rely on her athleticism.”

That all changed for the junior against Oregon State when she netted two goals in UCF’s 4-0 win over the Beavers, helping lift her team to its second shutout of the weekend.

“So far junior year is really good for me,” Wilkin said. “I had to work my way into the starting lineup. I had some meetings with Tiff (head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak) early on this year and she told me some things I needed to work on. I’ve been trying to get better individually, and so far so good.”

It was all UCF (5-2-0) from the get-go as the Knights outshot the Beavers, 20-1, in the first half. They finished the game with a 33-1 advantage in the stat column, including 10 shots on goal.

Senior Tatiana Coleman netted her fifth goal of the season and second game-winner after chipping in a high shot to the left corner in the 12th minute.

Less than seven minutes later, Wilkin tapped in her first-career goal when senior Carleigh Williams threaded a cross to her teammate near the left post.

“I felt like we came out a little flat, and even though it was 2-0 at half, I still felt there was still more in us. We had a good talk at halftime. We really focused on ourselves and putting in the work today so it could help us for the future,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “We came out with a great attitude and I think it showed. Getting another couple goals and having a lot of performances by a lot of people today. Great effort overall, all weekend.”

Wilkin wasted no time in finding the back of the net again after halftime. In the 49th minute, Jennifer Martin sent a corner kick into the box. An Oregon State player tried to clear the ball with her head, but it found Wilkin in front of the net and she put it away for a 3-0 lead.

Junior midfielder Ashley Spivey got in on the fun in the 67th minute with her first goal of the season after Coleman advanced the ball to her from the low right corner to the top of the box.

Twenty Knights clocked minutes in the match, including goalkeeper Diana Manis, who made her first career-appearance when she subbed in for Connie Organ with 18 minutes remaining.

Meanwhile, UCF’s defense kept Oregon State (0-6-2) from scoring in their fifth-straight match.

The Knights continue their homestand Friday at 7 p.m. when Long Beach State comes to town. Currently, the 49ers are ranked No. 23 nationally. The NSCAA poll will update Tuesday, and if LBSU’s standing among the Top 25 holds, it will be the first time since 2012 that the Knights have hosted a ranked opponent.

On paper, it is what the No. 15/17 UCF women’s soccer team (15-2-2, 8-0-1) was playing for Sunday in its 1-0 victory at SMU, but it isn’t what head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak asked her team to focus on before they headed onto Westcott Field.

“I think sometimes we can all get caught up in breaking records and the results and winning championships. Obviously we need to be motivated by that because we are all competitors, but I feel our edge is that we are inspired and motivated by one another because we have such a strong bond and family. I wanted them to focus on fighting for one another, encouraging one another, staying positive for one another.

“Based on the teams that I’ve been on that have won championships, it has always come down to little things and how tight the group is and how willing they are to play for one another. If you do that, that result that you want so badly should be there. Since we got the result that we wanted, I do think that the little things mattered today.”

Neither team gained the upper hand in the scoreless first half as both came away with just two shots on goal.

Although they had several scoring opportunities after the break, the only one the Knights needed happened in the 47th minute.

Junior forward Tatiana Coleman’s cross into the box found freshman Kayla Adamek, and she tapped it in to the back left corner of the net for her third game-winner of the season.

“I saw Tati sprinting down the line, so I knew she was going to put it in. I just tried to get in the right spot, and she practically gave me the goal,” Adamek said. “Winning the regular season is one of the best feelings in the world. I hope we take it to the next level.”

With 13 minutes to go, UCF goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado came up with a big deflection of Courtney Smith’s attempt from the left side, sending the ball over the crossbar to keep the Mustangs out of the net and secure the Knights’ ninth shutout of the year and 15th-straight unbeaten match.

Thanks to a first-round bye from their No. 1 seed, UCF will host its American Championship quarterfinal matchup at 1 p.m. on Nov. 3 against the winner of the No.8/No. 9 match being held at the UCF Soccer Complex on Nov. 1. Tickets are available for purchase now through UCFKnights.com.

With the win, the Knights (11-2-2, 4-0-1) extended their unbeaten streak to 11-straight games and derailed the Cardinals (9-4-1, 5-1-0) from their five-match win streak.

Both teams were picked as the favorite in The American’s coaches’ preseason poll, but it was UCF who came out on top in the first meeting between the two schools in program history.

UCF midfielder Jennifer Martin lifted her team to victory with the lone goal of the game, beating a defender inside the box in the 20th minute.

“It was created by good possession and good patience. Jenn had some space and she just buried it,” UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “I think this was one of our top performances of the year. It was a good comeback from Friday because we were a little let down by our performance but we were able to fix the things that we didn’t do well. We all agreed as a team that it’s about personal responsibility and commitment, and the fact that they recognized that and put it into action was really the difference.”

Sophomore Connie Organ subbed in after halftime and recorded a career-high five saves to secure UCF’s seventh shutout of the year.

UCF returns to Orlando for its final two home games of the regular season, hosting Rutgers on Friday at 7 p.m. before meeting former Conference USA rival Memphis at 1 p.m. Sunday.