(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)
ORLANDO, Fla. – Defensively, the University of Central Florida wasn’t at full strength. Junior Carrie Lawrence was sidelined for the 2017 American Athletic Conference Tournament final after sustaining a leg injury in a 3-0 semifinal win over the Memphis Tigers on Nov. 3. In her stead, junior Lauren Nemeroff started and played a majority of the available minutes on the back-line in a penalty-kicks defeat to the USF Bulls in the tournament final on Sunday.
“She did really well,” Knights goalkeeper Vera Varis said after the match. “Like, we have such a big roster and so many players who can come in. And we don’t have a set, like, 11 players. We got like the whole team full of good players. So I feel confident whoever gets in.”
Said fellow defender Saga Fredriksson on Nemeroff’s play after the match: “She made an amazing contribution to the team. I think, like Vera mentioned, again, we have such a big roster, and everybody’s ready to step in on the field, and we’re lucky to have her.”
Lawrence’s impact was missed in a match that saw a Knights team that averaged 17 shots and 2.75 goals per 90 minutes shoot only seven times and record just three on-target shots in regulation. The Orlando native is one of the Knights’ most efficient shooters, putting eight of her 13 shots (61.5 percent) on frame and recording five assists and two goals, including a game-winner, so far this year.
Nemeroff played 80 of the 110 minutes that spanned two overtimes. Fifth-year Knights coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak utilized junior Emily Tipton for the remaining available 30 minutes. Between the two, Nemeroff and Tipton have combined for two shots (zero on-target) and one assist this year. However, their impact was made on the defensive end.
In the 62nd minute, Tipton checked into the game and, moments later, made an inside-the-box stop. Nemeroff had her highlight moment in the 106th minute, thwarting USF’s numbers-advantaged counter with a lunging stab to force the turnover. Both efforts, among others, helped the Knights nullify USF’s 2.00 goals-per-game average with their 10th clean sheet of the year.
“Nemo and Emily Tipton both played in that position,” Roberts Sahaydak said after the match. “Kinda little tag team there, and I thought they both stepped in and did a really good job. I mean, we still had a shutout, and we had a change in personnel in the back, so I’m happy with Lauren and Emily.”
Lawrence is expected to be available for the 2017 NCAA Tournament and is currently wearing a boot only as a precaution, according to a team spokeswoman.
The Knights will discover their seeding in the NCAA tournament on Monday at 4:30 p.m.
For more on the Knights, as they prepare for the upcoming NCAA tournament, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
