ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University men's soccer battled NCAA Division I opponent UCF on Sunday afternoon at the UCF Soccer Complex, falling 6-0 to the Knights. The loss moved Florida Poly to 3-2-0 on the season, while UCF improved to 3-1-1. The Knights scored three goals in each half in front of 387 spectators.
Florida Poly held UCF scoreless through the opening 16 minutes before the Knights broke through at the 16:40 mark on an unassisted goal from Drew Hansen. Hansen struck again less than four minutes later, scoring off an assist from Izan Martinez Albiol to make it 2-0. UCF extended the advantage in the 25th minute when Alex Partera found the back of the net, giving the Knights a 3-0 lead heading into halftime.
Despite the early deficit, the Phoenix continued looking for opportunities going forward. Florida Poly produced two shots in the first half and three after the break. Tarquin Adams recorded the Phoenix's lone shot on goal, while Ahmad Hijaz, Felipe Romero, Julian Villegas and Isaiah Azore also registered attempts. Florida Poly finished with five total shots, with Adams' effort accounting for the team's lone attempt on target.
UCF added its fourth goal in the 56th minute when Kenn Muendo scored off a Sena Yamamoto assist. Joachim Kyei pushed the margin to 5-0 at 73:06, with Hansen and Muendo combining on the assist. Hansen completed his hat trick in the 80th minute after receiving a pass from Abraham Monsee Jr., closing out the scoring at 6-0.
Florida Poly used two goalkeepers in the contest. Andres Villegas played the opening 45 minutes and made two saves while allowing three goals. Porter Malloy took over for the second half and faced steady pressure from the Knights, finishing with six saves while surrendering three goals. Together, the Phoenix goalkeepers totaled eight saves.
UCF finished the afternoon with a 22-5 advantage in shots and placed 14 attempts on goal compared to Florida Poly's one. The Knights also held a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks and controlled 69 percent of the possession, while the Phoenix held 31 percent. Florida Poly committed 10 fouls compared to 11 for UCF, and Fernando Martinez received the Phoenix's lone yellow card in the 24th minute.
