With the win, the UH soccer team finished the 2020-21 regular season with a record of 6-4-1. | File Photo
In a Sunday night showdown caused by weather delays throughout the day, the Houston soccer team defeated the UCF Knights for the first time in program history by a score of 3-1 in Orlando, Florida.
The season finale win is the first in 15 matches against conference powerhouse UCF, where the Cougars had recorded one draw and 14 losses.
With the win, the Cougars also accomplished their first winning season since 2010 and only the fifth going back to 2000. The historic victory by the UH soccer team marked the end of the 2021 regular season.
UH began the game in attack mode as they scored two goals in the first eight minutes of the affair. Firing on all cylinders, redshirt junior forward Zionah Browne scored the first goal in the contest in the fifth minute. Just three minutes later, sophomore midfielder Maddie Dichiara put in her first goal as a UH player from a corner kick.
In the second half of the contest, UCF broke the shutout with a goal in the 48th minute.
The one-goal advantage for the UH soccer program quickly turned back to two, as senior forward Jazmin Grant scored only 39 seconds after the Knights’ goal.
The Cougars finalized this game with more shots on target although they were outshot by the Knights. The Cougars also led in corner kicks.
Behind the three posts, freshman goalkeeper Mikaela Gracia was stellar and recorded three saves, bringing her season total to eight.
The Cougars finished the season with a plus-16 goal differential and an average of 2.18 goals per game.
On defense, the Cougars allowed only eight goals, and clamped teams to one or fewer goals in all but one game this season.
