The University of Central Florida’s (UCF) men’s soccer team dominated the field on Friday night at the UCF Soccer Complex, where two Florida rivals went head-to-head in front of a crowd ready to bring the energy to an electrifying night. 

After winning their first game against Boston University 1-0, the UCF men’s soccer team drew against FAU before coming into the matchup with the rival Bulls. 

During the 1st half of the game, UCF received a corner kick opportunity that would allow fifth-year defensive end Takahiro Fujita to score an incredible header goal with the assist from one of his teammates.

This goal gave the players momentum for the rest of the game, allowing defenders and third-year goalkeeper Matisse Hébert to stay focused on the mission to tame the South Florida Bulls. 

Redshirt senior midfield/defender Joey Mueller had some positive remarks to make about his teammate Fujita: “Taka is a solid player; it’s almost like playing with a professional soccer player, and he is always showing great results for our team.”

Throughout the home game, young student-athlete audience members were heard shouting and cheering on the team. Many of them were from the youth Orlando City club team led by youth soccer coach and trainer for Orlando City, Erick Meneses, who has been a club coach for 10 years. Meneses’s plan was to bring his players out for a team-bonding experience while letting them see the technical ability of experienced athletes at the college level.  

According to coach Meneses, “Soccer is a mental game, give one hundred percent every time, play with passion, and the game will settle in your favor.” 

With only 12:20 minutes of the game, fourth-year midfielder Kenn Muendo made the crowd go wild as he scored his first goal of the season. Student athletes and audience members were seen running near the field to hype up the UCF athletes crushing it on the soccer field. 

At the final whistle, the Knights prevailed with a 2-0 victory, bringing their overall record to 2-0-1.

After a successful night at the UCF Soccer Complex, head coach Scott Calabrese shared a positive message with the fans and teammates in attendance. 

“They played very well; they showed up with a strong mentality and intensity. That is a foundation for a great start to the season.” We had a couple of objectives during this game: A to play with intensity and B to play with our DNA as a program,” Calabrese stated.

The men’s soccer team played well, showed great sportsmanship, and defended their home field with huge smiles on their faces. It was inevitable that the field and stadium would be lit up with loud chants and joy from UCF fans hyped about the second win of the 2026 Fall season. 

Head Coach Scott Calabrese speaking to sports reporters at the press conference post-game on August 28, 2026, against the South Florida Bulls. 

Orlando City youth student-athletes speaking to UCF men’s soccer players post-game on August 28, 2026, against the South Florida Bulls. 

Orlando City youth soccer team members in attendance for the 2nd UCF men’s soccer home game of the Fall season on August 28, 2026, against the South Florida Bulls. (Both photos)