MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Behind a second-half goal from fifth-year senior midfielder Lilly McCarthy, the West Virginia University women's soccer team picked up a 1-0 win over UCF at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown on Friday night.
 
After a scoreless first half, McCarthy took advantage of a penalty-kick chance in the 55th minute to put the Mountaineers (9-2-2, 5-0-1 Big 12) on top. With the win, WVU remained unbeaten in Big 12 play, as it continued its best start in league play since 2016. Furthermore, West Virginia is riding a nine-match unbeaten streak, also its longest since 2016.
 
In the first half, the two teams traded possession back and forth with neither team getting a great look at a goal. Despite 11 total shots in the period, each team only got one to go on frame before the clock hit the 45-minute mark.
 
Coming back in the second, West Virginia seemed to put a little more pressure on the UCF defense, firing three shots in the first 10 minutes. After a close one by fifth-year senior midfielder AJ Rodriguez bounced off the near post, she was fouled in the box as she went to grab the rebound. McCarthy was called on to take the penalty-kick opportunity, which was saved, but she was able to get her foot on the rebound and send it in for the score.
 
From there, UCF pressed to find the equalizer, but redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Smith and the West Virginia defense stayed steady to keep the Knights off the board. Smith garnered a pair of saves in the second, while the Mountaineer back line tallied a crucial team save in the waning minutes of the match to earn the shutout and victory. The clean sheet marked the sixth of the season for West Virginia.
 
The final box score was indicative of the close match, with the Mountaineers just outshooting UCF, 14-11, including 6-4 in shots on goal. WVU earned seven corner kicks on the night, while UCF posted five. With the win, West Virginia improves to 3-1 all-time against the Knights, including a 2-0 mark in matches played in Morgantown. The victory was WVU's first against UCF in Big 12 Conference play.
 
The Mountaineers now head back on the road for their final two-game road swing of the regular season, first taking on No. 23 TCU on Thursday, Oct. 10. Kickoff at the Horned Frogs' Garvey Rosenthal Soccer Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.