Photo courtesy of Aryah Britt

Knights are set for a tough matchup against No. 16-ranked Clemson

UCF men’s soccer is set to host No. 16-ranked Clemson this Tuesday at the UCF Soccer Complex.

The Knights’ season has kicked off to a strong start as they have yet to concede a goal through their first three matches of the season.

Coming off a 2-0 win against USF on Friday night, the Knights (2-0-1) are looking to carry their momentum against a tough opponent.

With the defense playing a major part in the team’s current success, head coach Scott Calabrese stated postgame that it is important, as the offense is still finding its footing.

“You want to learn while you’re winning,” Calabrese said. “The hardest and usually the thing that comes latest is to be really efficient in the final third.”

Both the offense and the defense will continue to grow but will face a tough challenge against a strong Clemson team.

The last time the Knights faced off against the Tigers (2-1) was on the road back in 2023 when they defeated the No. 9-ranked program 2-1.

The matchup carried much weight since the victory granted UCF its first No. 1 national ranking in a regular-season poll in UCF Athletics history.

Senior midfielder Kenn Muendo said the group has no fear for the upcoming matchup, only excitement.

“Every college student wants to play games like this, competing against the best in the country,” Muendo said. “It’s good to have these games early in preparation for the rest of the season.”

After scoring two goals in a scoreless game, the team feels confident in its ability to get the offense up to speed.

Following Friday’s match, redshirt senior midfielder/defender Joey Mueller spoke about the group’s confidence and viewed their matchup against Clemson as a rivalry in terms of energy.

“We took a big step tonight with as many chances we created in the conditions in which we created them,” Mueller said. “I feel very confident that we can pin Clemson in very uncomfortable spots where other teams maybe haven’t.”

Calabrese emphasized the need for confidence and togetherness for this upcoming matchup as these factors will allow the team to play the best soccer they can.

“We know the next match [against Clemson] is going to be harder and push us more,” Calabrese said. “We’ll come into the game with confidence trying to do the things that UCF soccer wants to do.”

All these aspects will be put to the test as the Knights look to continue their strong start at an electric UCF Soccer Complex this Tuesday at 7 p.m.