UCF took the lead in the 56th minute, but Charlotte’s Giuseppe Gentile equalized in the 72nd minute only to make way for Will Mayhew’s overtime strike in the 102nd minute to keep UCF below 500.

“We played well, we created chances with corner kicks and all the possession, but we gave up two soft goals,” said coach Bryan Cunningham. “We’ve been spoiled for two year being a top 25 program, now we’re not, and we’ve fallen out of the rankings.”

With only one win in their last five matches, the Knights entered the game looking to upset the No. 12 Charlotte 49er’s, who finished as runners-up in last year’s NCAA Championship Final.

The first half remained deadlock when UCF’s only chance of scoring came in the 10th minute. Deshorn Brown managed to slip past the Charlotte defense but only kicking the ball wide towards the corner kick line.

Jeff Michaud’s pass managed to slip through the Charlotte defense in the 18-yard-line, which led to Deshorn Brown striking the ball past goalkeeper Klay Davis to make it 1-0.

Things got aggressive moments later when Knights’ goalkeeper Sebastian Evers saved a Charlotte cross only to bump into 49er’s Owen Darby, which led to an altercation between them before the referee gave both players a yellow card.

“They’re a really good team, we knew that from the start,” said Knights forward Omar Vallejo on the disappointing loss.

Much of the match drew plenty of shots between both programs, with UCF out-shooting Charlotte 17-15. The Knights shot four close-range shots in the last five minutes of regular time, but didn’t manage to capitalize on them.

UCF will look to build from the loss when they visit North Florida on Saturday Sept. 29.