Photo courtesy of Diego Besne

Knights’ defense holds strong in season opener

UCF men’s soccer found a way to pull out a win Thursday night in their season opener, winning 1-0 in a tough matchup against the Boston University Terriers.

The first half saw clear dominance for the Knights offensively and defensively, as they won the half 10 to 1 in shots and 5 to 0 in corners.

Although several chances were created, the Knights struggled to find the back of the net, and ultimately both teams went into the half tied at 0-0.

Coming out at the half, both teams were looking for an answer to take advantage of the match.

The breakthrough came in the 56th minute when a deflected shot from freshman forward/midfielder Alex Partera fell to senior defender and Marshall transfer Takahiro Fujita, who buried it in the back of the net.

Head coach Scott Calabrese spoke about his excitement for Fujita at the postgame press conference, saying that he thought he was always one of, if not the, best in the country.

“I was always a huge fan of ‘Taka’ when he was at Marshall,” Calabrese said. “I feel very fortunate that he found UCF to be a place he wanted to be.”

Fellow junior defender Gwendal Degorce stated that he is happy for Fujita, who is known for his defense, as he scored the first goal of the season for the Knights.

“He’s been amazing since he got here in the spring,” Degorce said. “It’s just the result of all the work he’s put in, and the amazing player that he is.”

The Knights continued their defensive stance through the match, holding Boston University to only six shots. The Terriers finished the match with zero shots on goal.

On the defensive end, Degorce highlighted the group’s ability to communicate effectively despite different backgrounds.

“It’s the same language out there in the end,” Degorce said. “We know how to play soccer. We understand the game, and it just makes sense when we’re connected.”

The shutout marked the Knights’ first in a season opener since a 5-0 home victory over Florida Atlantic in 2015.

They also improved to 3-1-0 in their last four season openers, dating back to the team’s 2-1 road victory against then No. 9-ranked Clemson in 2023.

The Knights look to carry this momentum on the road as they head to Boca Raton, Florida, to face a familiar opponent in the FAU Owls on Aug. 23 at 6 p.m.