The Ospreys secured their place in the Atlantic Sun Conference championship with a victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Monday at Hodges Stadium.
Seniors Joaquin Acuna and David Perez scored goals for UNF, both of whom were First-Team All-ASUN selections this season. Senior Rentaro Miyakawa continued to be the main creative force for the Ospreys, as he notched his ASUN leading 7th assist.
First Half
The first goal came early. In the 7th minute, junior midfielder Jaylen Yearwood played a ball across the penalty area for Acuna to pounce on. After the early UNF goal, both teams exchanged shots until the 27th minute, when Miyakawa chipped a pass into the box that Acuna finished with an acrobatic bicycle kick for his second goal of the match. This goal landed him Number 2 on SportsCenter’s Top 10.
“I could not do any of what has happened without these guys,” said Acuna, referring to his teammates. “They’re doing everything right to get me in front of the goal, and I’m just trying to do my job.”
Acuna finished the night with his third brace of the season, with the previous two coming at Lipscomb on Oct. 12 and vs. Central Arkansas on Nov. 2.
FGCU began exerting offensive pressure in the 39th minute but was unable to find the back of the net before halftime. Despite the late momentum, the Ospreys outshot FGCU 7-2 in the first half.
Second Half
FGCU had the first big chance of the second half, as a misplaced pass found its way to Eagles forward Shoki Yoshida, who came close to cutting the Osprey lead in half, but instead hit the post.
After the close call, UNF reignited their offensive push in the 54th minute. David Perez received a pass from Pedro Amancio. Perez quickly dribbled just outside the penalty box, and fired a curling shot into the top corner of the net, just outside the reach of FGCU goalkeeper Cooper Blay. The goal marked Perez’s sixth of the season.
In the final 15 minutes of the match, FGCU amped up its offensive attack, forcing multiple saves from sophomore goaltender Luciano Natoli. Natoli ended the game with six saves, a career-high, and posted his fourth clean sheet of the season.
Up Next
The Ospreys will host the ASUN championship on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Hodges Stadium against Central Arkansas. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
UNF will be fighting for its second-ever ASUN title in men’s soccer, with the first coming in 2015. UCA will look for a repeat performance of the regular season finale, where they beat the Ospreys 6-2 on Nov. 2 at Hodges Stadium.
