After being cut from the men’s soccer team following his freshman year, Weiss worked his way back onto the squad in the fall of 2013 and is now a member of the starting lineup.

“I think that’s what makes him special. He’s really fought through. Most kids, when they get into normal school life after being cut from a team or not making a team, I think they just fall into the normal habits of a student and maybe they lose that edge to be competitive,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ men’s soccer head coach Bryan Cunningham said. “I think what makes Jake special is that he was able to put all that on the side. He came out to all of our games even though he wasn’t on the team, and he just grew as a person.”

Weiss only logged three minutes in a victory over North Florida his first season as a Knight in 2011. Once the spring of Weiss’ freshman year had come to a close, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s young soccer player was unsure of his status as a member of the team. By the end of the season, Cunningham and his staff eventually made the tough decision that Weiss had felt coming.

“We actually cut him from the roster,” Cunningham said. “After the spring of 2011, he just really wasn’t where he needed to be. We didn’t see the development and the commitment from Jake at the time. He was young, very intelligent and a good player in high school and with his club team, but he was finding the balance of being a great student [and] at the same time, trying to compete on a Top-25 team.”

The decision, regardless of his gut feeling, still resonated with shock. Weiss hadn’t expected that his coach would actually cut him from the sport he had played his entire life. He said that he had tried several sports when he was younger, from football to baseball, but it was soccer that truly hooked him.

“I just loved soccer,” Weis said. “I loved running around. Soccer is very active and you have to be aware for 90 minutes. It’s a lot more fun for me.”

For Weiss, it was his love for the game that motivated him to continue to work. He trained on his own, playing state cup with an under-19 squad, and he continued to excel in the classroom with a sickening work ethic to perform at the highest level.

“I have a 3.99,” Weiss said. “I got an A- in economics freshman fall. It still gets me mad all the time. I got a 92 and an A was a 93. It just irritates me, but nothing I can do about it now.”

But even as he rallied off impressive grades and worked at staying active, Weiss still found it rough watching friends and roommates leave to go to practice.

“I missed it. I missed waking up and training every day. Going to class, everyone can do that but not everyone can say they played a college sport at a high level,” Weiss explained. “It was something that motivated me. Plus my roommates motivated me because they were always going out and training and traveling to the games. I missed that, it was always fun.”

Cunningham told Weiss to use his time away from the team to improve, to get better and to prove that he belonged. So, he did just that and hustled to develop his skills as a soccer player. Weiss was determined to return to the sport he loved.

“He came by the office and asked for an opportunity to try out again, and it was actually pretty seamless. He fought his way back onto the team,” Cunningham said. “He was fitter, he was stronger, and I think he was in a better place mentally. I think he was a lot more mature, and ever since then he’s blossomed into a player that we can depend on.”

Through his undeterred perseverance and mental toughness, Weiss has now developed into a consistent contributor for ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ and is currently holding on to a starting job for the Knights. The team depends on Weiss to deliver on the field, and it has been his overall reliability as a teammate that has set him apart.

“He really wanted to make a point and prove that he could not only be on this roster but also contribute,” Cunningham said. “You can count on him. As a head coach, that’s what you want. You want players who are consistent and you know what you’re going to get out of them every single time. I think that speaks to Jake and his attitude and his determination.”

Weiss has woven his determination from the field with his efforts in the classroom and as graduation approaches in December, he is looking forward to applying to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s industrial organizational PhD program.

“This is where I want to go,” Weiss said. “I’d like to be able to work with businesses and consulting with employee selection and motivation with workers, and also be able to help businesses run more efficiently.”

For the time being, Weiss is focused on helping the Knights return to the NCAA Tournament, a homecoming of sorts as the Knights made the Big Dance his freshman season when they were knocked out of the second round by rival USF. For Weiss, this would truly mean coming full-circle.

He is the only player during Cunningham’s seven-year tenure at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ who has fought his way back after being cut from the team.

“We all have our troubles in life and our pitfalls if you will, and it’s how you recover from that. Can you persevere and fight your way through it?” Cunningham said. “I think that’s Jake.”

“I’m just proud of our players to be able to bounce back from a tough loss the other night against Charlotte. They came out tonight and showed a lot of character to get a nice win on the road,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Bryan Cunningham said. “We had a number of guys who found the back of the net, which is good, and more importantly we earned our first shutout of the season, and hopefully that’s a good step in the right direction. Now, all of our attention is on the start of conference play against FIU on Wednesday night.”

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ wasted no time striking first in the 7-minute mark when Deshorn Brown rebounded from a scrum in the box to put one past North Florida’s diving keeper. Brown has now scored a goal for five-consecutive games and boasts a team-high seven goals this year.

The Knights snuck in one more goal just before the half ended when McKauly Tulloch took a shot on a breakaway that was saved by Kyle Nasta, but Tulloch was able to recover the deflection and finished on an open net from six yards away.

Following the break, Romario Williams scored his first goal of the season to increase ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s edge to 3-0 in the 53rd minute.

The Knights capped off the night with one final goal in the 71st minute. Jeff Michaud nearly scored when he dribbled through the Osprey defense but his shot hit the post. Malcolm Reed rebounded the attempt and finished on the open net, giving Michaud the assist.

The contest with the Ospreys served as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s final non-league match of the year. The Knights will open Conference USA play Wednesday, hosting FIU at 7 p.m. at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Soccer Complex.

Wednesday’s game versus FIU will be the first of four home league contests for the Knights.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ moved up one spot in the TopDrawerSoccer.com rankings. The Knights spent all of 2011 in the top 25 nationally and concluded the season by advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championship for the second-straight season.

Head coach squad will make its home debut Saturday, hosting 13th-ranked Old Dominion at 7 p.m. at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Soccer Complex.

Behind a pair of goals from Deshorn Brown, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ men’s soccer team opened the campaign in fine fashion Friday at FAU Soccer Stadium. Brown notched the game-winner in the 59th minute.

The Knights won their third-straight season opener. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ finished with a 13-8 shot advantage, and had seven shots on goal.

The game-winning tally from Brown, a junior transfer from the University of Mobile who was making his ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ regular-season debut, was a bullet to the top left that beat FAU (0-1) goalkeeper Jeremy Crumpton. Brown’s first goal, and the Knights’ first score of the season, came in the 51st minute when the forward took a cross from Omar Vallejo in the box and beat Crumpton in the lower left corner.

The Owls tied the contest seven minutes later when Roberto Rivera scored. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ answered right back as Brown gave the Knights the lead less than two minutes later.

“Our players were ready to go from the start and we really controlled the entire game,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Bryan Cunningham said. “That is hard to do on the road. I am proud of our attitude. After their goal, we battled right back. That is a credit to our senior leadership and the mentality of the team. It is great to start the season with a good road win.”

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s Sebastian Evers recorded three saves in the victory. The contest featured a 30-minute delay in the first half due to lightning.

C-USA annually presents $4,000 postgraduate scholarship awards to graduates as selected by the league’s faculty athletics representatives and approved by the board of directors.

“This is a great honor and I am very appreciative,” Scott said. “It was an honor to even be nominated for the scholarship because ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ has so many great student-athletes. My coaches, teammates and the academic support staff at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ always pushed me to be the best student-athlete I could be. Without their support, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”

In May, Scott graduated from ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a 3.66 grade-point average.

On the pitch, Scott helped the Knights reach the second round of the NCAA Championship as a junior and senior. In 2011, the midfielder played in and started 12 matches and recorded three assists. As a junior, Scott totaled three goals and eight assists.

Scott was a seven-time Dean’s List recipient and earned the prestigious President’s Honor Roll Certificate this past spring. He was active with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as the marketing chairman as a junior and the vice president as a senior.

“You would be hard pressed to find a more deserving student-athlete to receive the postgraduate scholarship,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach said. “Spencer was dedicated to success at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ academically, athletically and socially. He did great work with SAAC and in the classroom and played a tremendous role with our team the last four years.”

Following the opener, the UKNIGHT Tour will move up to Seminole County and Orlando Sanford International Airport Tuesday evening.

After week one, the tour will make stops in Melbourne on May 1, downtown Orlando on May 7, Tampa on May 8, The Villages on May 9, West Palm Beach on May 23 and Fort Lauderdale on May 24.

For more information on the entire tour and to RSVP, call the Golden Knights Club at (407) 882-1289 or visit /athletics/.

Monday will mark the first time the annual tour will feature a stop on campus. New Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury will be joined by Head Football Coach George O’Leary, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Donnie Jones, Head Women’s Basketball Coach , Head Baseball Coach , Head Men’s Soccer Coach , Head Women’s Soccer Coach Amanda Cromwell, Head Volleyball Coach , Head Rowing Coach and Assistant Women’s Tennis Coach Β for the kickoff event. Meanwhile, Stansbury, Coach O’Leary and Dagenais will be on hand Tuesday as well.

Every event will run from 6-8 p.m. and feature giveaways and prize drawings. The programs begin with a meet-and-greet highlighted by free hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Marc Daniels, the Voice of the Knights, and former ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ men’s basketball standout Mike O’DonnellΒ will emcee the tour.

Representatives from other ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ sports programs, the Golden Knights Club, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Alumni Association and ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics also will be attending the events.

>2012 UKNIGHT Tour Week One – All Tour Stops Run From 6-8 p.m.
Monday, April 23 –
East Orlando (Kick-off Event)
J. Rolfe Davis Recruiting Lounge at Bright House Networks Stadium
Parking: Lots E6 & E7
Featured Guests: Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury, Head Football Coach George O’Leary, Head Women’s Basketball Coach , Head Baseball Coach , Head Volleyball Coach , Head Men’s Soccer Coach , Head Women’s Soccer Coach Amanda Cromwell, Head Rowing Coach , Assistant Women’s Tennis Coach

Tuesday, April 24 –
Seminole County
South East Ramp at Orlando Sanford International Airport
2150 Spinner Lane
Sanford, FL 32773
407-998-2059
Featured Guests: Todd Stansbury, George O’Leary,

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ is coming off one of the finest seasons in school history. The Knights spent nearly the entire 2011 season in the top 25 nationally, moving to as high as No. 6, and again picked up a victory in the NCAA Championship.

“We are very excited to add this class,” Cunningham said. “We feel great about these young men. They fulfill a lot of needs, not just replacing our group of seniors that just left, but moving forward as we prepare to head to the BIG EAST. This group will get us well on our way.”

Anton Sealey, 6-1/200, D, Nassau, Bahamas/North Carolina

Bryan Cunningham on Anton Sealey: “He is a ball-winner. Anton is versatile – he can play center back or right back and he has come in and blended in right away with our back four. We look forward to big things from him. Anton is a tremendous athlete. He is building up his fitness level now and is getting his touch back.”

Mason Miller, 6-0/180, M, Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS

Bryan Cunningham on Mason Miller: “Mason is a very versatile player. We liked him from the minute that we saw him play. He fits into how we do things. He is a hard worker and a winner. He can play a number of positions and we feel really good about Mason coming in here and helping right away.”

Michael Russo, 5-7/145, M, McLean, Va./McLean HS

Bryan Cunningham on Michael Russo: “Michael is a tremendous soccer player. We saw him a few years ago and put him right on our list. He can handle the ball. He loves to play holding midfield, which is where we expect him to play. He is very intelligent for his age and we look forward to having Michael come in and fit right into our system and style of play.”

Romario Williams, 5-11/173, M, Portmore, Jamaica/Kingston College

Bryan Cunningham on Romario Williams: “Romario is a fantastic midfielder. He is here with us in the spring and is doing very well. We look forward to great things from him. He is very technical and sees the field very well. He moves the ball very well and has a lot of bite to play in that center midfield role for us.”

“We are so happy for both Kevan and Warren,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Bryan Cunningham said. “This is a great achievement for both of them and also a great accomplishment for our program.”

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was one of just 10 schools nationally to have more than one player selected Thursday.

Creavalle and George were both selected to the All-Conference USA First Team this past season when they helped the Knights advance to the second round of the NCAA Championship for the second-consecutive year. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was ranked in the top-25 nationally for nearly the entire campaign, and moved to as high as No. 6.

George had a pair of goals and seven assists this past year, when he started all 21 contests for the Knights. During his four-year career, he started all 73 matches and recorded six goals and 16 assists, which ranks 10th in program history. A native of Trinidad, George was a three-time All-C-USA First Team selection.

“Kevan is a great kid. He has done so much for the program. He came to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ as one of the top recruits in the country when I took over as the head coach. He played in three Conference USA Championship semifinals, two NCAA Tournaments and made it to the second round two-straight years. Every year as a player and a person, he improved,” Cunningham said.

“It was an unreal feeling to see my name on the screen,” George said of his selection. “I’ve had so many ups and downs in my life, but I stuck to my goal to play professionally. It is a rewarding feeling to get drafted by such a wonderful organization like the Columbus Crew.”

In 2011, Creavalle appeared in 17 contests, making 16 starts. He recorded one goal and three assists during the year. Prior to the campaign, the Georgia native was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. After his junior season, when he tallied four goals and 12 assists, Creavalle garnered NSCAA All-America Third Team honors. He spent two years at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ after transferring from Furman.

“We were very blessed to have Warren join us two years ago,” Cunningham said. “He was still very raw, but he bought into our system of what we do here. He worked extremely hard on his game. He is a very coachable young man. Warren is the consummate team player.”

“This is what I have been working toward for the majority of my life,” Creavalle said. “I am real excited to get to this point and I am really excited to keep working harder.”

George and Creavalle became the second and third players in program history to be selected in the MLS SuperDraft. In 2010, goalkeeper Sean Johnson was tabbed with the 51st overall pick by the Chicago Fire.

If the Knights defeat Florida Gulf Coast, they will play at USF in Tampa on Sunday evening.

β€œI am really happy for our seniors,” Cunningham said. β€œOur whole team has worked so hard, and it is great to have the chance to continue the season. The NCAA selection committee recognized our efforts and we are all very excited.”

The Knights have enjoyed a memorable 2011 campaign, as the team has spent the entire season ranked in the top 25 nationally. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ enters the NCAA Championship 11-5-3 overall. The Knights were ranked as high as No. 6 in the country during the regular season, as the team started the year 6-0-1. Last week, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ advanced to the Conference USA Championship semifinals in Tulsa, Okla.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ and Florida Gulf Coast will be meeting in Orlando for the second time this year. The teams played on Sept. 24, and the Eagles ended ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s unbeaten start to the season by posting a 2-1 victory.

Florida Gulf Coast received the Atlantic Sun’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship by claiming the league tournament title with a 1-0 win over East Tennessee State Sunday. The Eagles (12-5-2) will be making their first NCAA Championship appearance.

In 2010, the Knights rolled to a 3-0 NCAA Championship first-round victory over visiting USF. The Knights headed to Ann Arbor for the second round, where they fell 2-1 to Michigan.

β€œThe fact that we are hosting an NCAA game for the second-straight year speaks volumes about how far our program has come. It is a huge honor for us to host a first-round game. It is great that we can reward our fans with another home game,” Cunningham said.

The at-large berth in the NCAA Championship is just the second for the Knights since the program moved to the Division I level in 1984.

Robson netted the game-winning goal at the 70-minute mark. Senior Spencer Scott (Palm City, Fla.) set up the score with a cross that was handled inside the box by freshman Matthew Gaskins (St. Petersburg, Fla.) before a spinning Robson shot across his body past Tulsa (5-10-0, 1-5-0) goalkeeper Michael Murray.

Robson, who now has six goals on the year, tied the match in the 65th minute when he scored on a free kick from 20 yards out.

The win over Tulsa was the first in nine tries for the Knights, who improved to 5-1 at home in 2011 with the victory. The Golden Hurricane grabbed a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the match when a Tulsa header bounced off a ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ defender and was controlled by Quinn Starker, who fired a shot above ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sebastian Evers (Miami, Fla).

“We knew that this was going to be a tough match,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Bryan Cunningham said. “You can throw their record out. They are one of the best teams in the league. We knew it was going to be a battle. The players were up for it. Going down a goal early never helps, but give our players a lot of credit. We were able to battle back and come out of here with a nice win.”

The Golden Hurricane threatened to tie the match late, but the Knights clamped down defensively. With just over a minute to play, Murray left his usual position and fired off shot on goal. Evers, who was making his collegiate debut, made a diving save to knock away the surprising shot from his counterpart.

The contest was the first at home for the Knights since Sept. 28. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was slated to host South Carolina on Oct. 8, but the match was postponed due to heavy rains.

“People were saying, `you guys never play.’ We have not been home in a while, it is nice to be back,” Robson said. “(Conference games) are always tough. The last few minutes are always going to be a battle like that. We have learned our lessons from games where we have let a goal in the last minute, this year and last year. But we don’t do that anymore.”

The physical contest featured 32 total fouls and four yellow cards.

Evers totaled six saves in the winning effort. Tulsa recorded 11 shots, while the Knights had nine shots, with seven coming after halftime.

Last week, head coach Bryan Cunningham’s team began league play by rallying for a 2-1 overtime victory over visiting Kentucky. The Wildcats were ranked 21st by the NSCAA. The Knights then headed to Dallas and rolled to a 4-2 win at SMU, a team ranked No. 21 in the Soccer America poll.

“When you look at the start of our Conference USA schedule, you see Kentucky and on the road at SMU. We knew that it wouldn’t be easy to come out with two wins. This is a terrific start to our conference season. We couldn’t be happier with the commitment level of our players,” Cunningham said.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was listed at No. 10 in last week’s Soccer America Top 25.

Connecticut is first in this week’s poll, followed by Maryland, defending national champion Akron, North Carolina and Creighton.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ will return to action Saturday when the Knights host C-USA foe South Carolina at 4 p.m. at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Soccer Complex.