"I think today it was a tough game obviously with the quick turnaround and everything that we put into Wednesday [a 4-1 victory over North Carolina]…You could see toward the end the players were on their last legs, but I can’t say enough compliments for them to have that grit, that determination, the attitude, the mentality to see the game out and walk away with three points and end the week with nine points with three games."

-Seb Hines

Orlando Pride Head Coach

Around The Horn.

• The Orlando Pride sit atop the NWSL standings after their 1-0 victory over Racing Louisville last Sunday. The Pride (5-0-3) have now won five matches in a row, and remain one of two teams left that are undefeated. The Pride will look to keep this streak alive as they host Bay FC on Saturday, May 11 at 7:30pm during their Pups Of Pride event, where fans are welcome to bring their canine friends to the game for an evening filled with dog-themed activities, activations, and more! Dog tickets and general tickets are both on sale now.
• The Orlando Solar Bears continue their quest to reach the ECHL Finals as they host the Florida Everblades tonight at 7:00pm in the Kia Center. The Solar Bears are currently down 3-0 in the series, and will need to win all four remaining games to advance to the next round. Visit the Solar Bears website for more information about tonight's game and to purchase tickets.
• The NCAA Division II Women's Golf Committee has announced the list of individuals and teams that have advanced to the 2024 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships. The championships will take place from May 21-25 at Orange County National Golf Resort & Lodge in Winter Garden, FL.
• The Orlando Valkyries make their triumphant return home as they prepare to host the last two matchups of the 2024 inaugural season. The first game is scheduled for tonight, May 9 at 7:00pm against the San Diego Mojo and has a College Alumni Night theme. Fans can enjoy BOGO tickets, great deals on popcorn and hot dogs, and select deals on NUTRL seltzer drinks.
• The UCF Football program has sold out their season ticket allotment for the 2024 upcoming season in record time. This is a huge achievement for the Knights, marking the earliest sellout of tickets in school history and the fourth consecutive season of doing so. UCF has six home games this year in their first season being apart of the Big 12 Conference.
• UCF Softball has qualified for the Big 12 softball tournament this week in their inaugural season joining the conference. The Knights (30-22, 12-15 Big 12) earned the fifth seed in the tournament and a first-round bye and will face No. 4 Baylor in the quarterfinals tonight at 8:30pm. The winner will move on to the semifinals tomorrow night at 7:30pm and face the winner of the Texas vs Texas Tech.
• Orlando City FC fell 1-0 to FC Cincinnati last weekend at home after a hard-fought match. The Lions (2-5-3) will look ahead to try and captivate a victory this weekend as they visit Philadelphia on Saturday, May 11 at 7:30pm.

The Greater Orlando Sports Commission is proud to partner with Rollins College to host the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival. The festival will be held from May 19-25, and we are recruiting volunteers to assist with all aspects of the championship festival. Individuals or groups interested in volunteering can visit https://forms.gle/V3HW58aiwUf3HiDX9 to sign up and for more information. Volunteers are required to be 18 years or older. 

In The News.

• EA Sports and UCF have long been in partnership together since the creation of the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) back in 2004. The FIEA program is a unique collaboration between EA Sports and UCF for students seeking to obtain their degree and work as programmers, artists, and producers. According to EA Sports, approximately 10% of their game development team are graduates from the FIEA program. With the resurgence of the popular College Football '25 set to debut this summer, both UCF Football and the FEIA program have played an integral role in its development.
• Universal Orlando has released new information about the interactive installations coming to Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe, a new theme park set to open in 2025. Power-Up Bands will be available for purchase to Epic Universe guests, and are intended to create immersive experiences throughout the new attraction. The band will allow guests to collect digital coins, play interactive activities, collect digital stamps and earn digital keys that unlock exclusive content involving popular Super Mario characters.
• The Downtown Arts District and CityArts are expanding their ongoing 3rd Thursday art event with the first-ever closure of Magnolia Avenue, for art reasons only. CityArts will be placing a stage with live entertainment outdoors, there will be artists painting live in the street and a vendor market all the way down to Heritage Square in front of the Orange County History Center.
• The Orange County Government is considering the launch of a new incentives program to lure television and film companies to the area. The county commission will be looking at recommendations to offer incentives for film companies, trying to fill a gap left behind by the State when it ended its film incentive back in 2016. The incentive programs are generally performance-based rebate programs that are based on geographic criteria.
• The U.S. News & World Report released their ranking of the top public high school's in the country, with three Central Florida schools making the Top 100 list. Westshore High School was ranked 43rd out of 100, with Edgewood High School at 57th and NeoCity Academy at 92nd. According to the organization, over 17,000 public high schools were ranked based on factors such as graduation rate, performance on state assessments, and more.
• Allegiant Air has started providing service from Orlando International Airport for the first time in over a decade. The low-fare airline began flights to Asheville, North Carolina on May 3 and will start routes to Allentown, Pennsylvania and Knoxville, Tennessee, on May 16 and 17 respectively. No reduction of Allegiant service is expected at Orlando Sanford International Airport where the majority of their local flights are offered.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Orlando is offering an exclusive discount to recent 2024 graduates from May 19 - June 2! Call the reservation number pictured above and reference "Graduates" to receive this once-in-a-lifetime deal.

Stay Engaged.

• Walt Disney World has announced the dates and some details for its 2024 Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party located at the Magic Kingdom theme park. The after-hours holiday event will be held on 38 select nights between Aug. 9 and Oct. 31 this year, and tickets will go on sale next week, May 15. Guests can enjoy meet and greet opportunities with Disney characters, a fireworks and laser show, parkwide trick-or-treating, and many more child-friendly activities.
• Universal Orlando has set an opening day for its DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios theme park, and has unveiled plans for a new parade, new nighttime lagoon show, and new castle projection show at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade. DreamWorks Land, the "Hogwarts Always" projection show, and the "CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular lagoon show are scheduled to debut on June 14 of this year, with the new Universal Mega Movie Parade set to begin on July 3.
• Join the Downtown Orlando Partnership for its Chow on Church event from 3:30-6pm on Tuesday, June 18th, at Inter&Co Stadium! Admission includes business networking, food tasting, the opportunity to meet Orlando Pride players, and two complimentary tickets for an upcoming Pride match! 
• Cirque du Soleil has added a behind-the-scenes VIP tour for "Drawn to Life," the theatrical production at Disney Springs. The new "Page to Stage Signature Experience" will include exclusive access before and after select shows. Participants will receive a backstage tour, an artist meet-and-greet, premium show seating, a "Drawn to Life" gift bag, souvenir popcorn bucket, and more. The new experience costs $285 for adults and children over nine years old, and tickets are on sale now through December of this year.
• Florida residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

In The Community.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel at the FHSAA Tennis State Championships last week, pictured with Craig Damon (FHSAA) and the winners from the Special Olympics Division. GO Sports is proud to partner with FHSAA and Seminole County to host this great event.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and his wife Sarah Grafton attended the 2024 Runway to Hope Spring Soiree last weekend, pictured with UCF mascot Knightro.

GO Sports Executive VP Jennifer Lastik attended the Orlando Solar Bears playoff game earlier this week, pictured with Tanya Bowley (Orlando Venues).

GO Sports Senior VP Brent Nelson and Director Jordan Lyda attended the 2024 Head Coach Training Center, the nation’s premier annual educational conference for current and aspiring college basketball head coaches, at the DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal, pictured with Brian Stanchak (The BDS Agency).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the 2024 Runway to Hope Spring Soiree last weekend, pictured with former WWE Superstar Dean "Mojo" Muhtadi and Pediatric Cancer Child Ambassador King Singh.

GO Sports Associate VP Chase DeMayo attended an event hosted by The Kingdom NIL, pictured with UCF Football Head Coach Gus Malzahn.

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

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Fun & Games.

• What's Happening: Osceola County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Orange County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Seminole County Things To Do