Before last week, UNF men’s soccer coach Jamie Davies thought two key players would be graduating from the team.

However, those two impact players — Rentaro Miyakawa and David Perez — were granted an extra year of eligibility. To illustrate these players’ impacts, Miyakawa led the ASUN in assists last year and Perez scored the second-most ASUN conference goals. 

“Having those two guys that have experience, that know how we play, can teach that to the new guys coming in,” Davies said. “They’ve seen all the teams that we’ve played in conference…I think it’s huge.”

With these surprise returns, Davies said UNF lost only two starters from last season’s ASUN championship squad: potent goal scorer Joaquin Acuna and defender Nick Kishchenko. 

Campus Energy

On the coaching side, Davies is entering year two as head coach and he’s already feeling the campus buzz about men’s soccer. Nonetheless, Davies is hoping for consistent student attendance all season. 

To attract more fans early on, Davies said he spoke at multiple freshman orientations this summer.  

“We’re really trying to engage a lot of those groups,” Davies said. “We’re trying to keep the same kind of crowd structure that we had behind the goals because we think that was a massive advantage.”

Roster Experience

Twenty-one of North Florida’s 33 roster members are juniors and above. UNF only chooses 11 starters, which can make lineup decisions more difficult because of all the experience. For most coaches, however, this is a good problem to have. 

Players Davies could see make that big jump and enter the starting lineup include junior Alife Mattocks, senior Pedro Amancio and redshirt senior Luc Granitur.

“[Granitur] really wanted more for himself, so he had a great summer,” Davies said. “He’s physically really fit right now. He looks really sharp. He’s kind of fitting into the way we play.”

Impact Newcomers

Overall, Davies said everyone’s healthy and ready to give it their all. As for newcomers, Davies opened up with French-exchange defender Paul Schacherer. 

“He’s a man,” Davies said. “So when it comes to that physical battle, he’ll have an immediate impact.”

Additionally, Davies touted two new strikers who created a three-way battle for the position. More specifically, Davies described these players as being “very different.” According to Davies, redshirt senior Jaxon Reinhardt, sophomore Geraldo Neto and Winthrop transfer Ricardo Ferreira are expected to battle for the number nine striker position. 

Over the spring, Davies added sophomore Kaiss Mansouri and junior Goffin Oyirwoth to the team. Davies said both attacking players are good at driving towards people. In terms of freshmen, Davies mentioned local product Omar Trto and Orlando native Kadin Sadiq.

“I think we’ve got some young guys that have a really bright future in this group and hopefully they can kind of learn from the older guys around them,” Davies said.

A Daunting Roadtrip

Last season, Davies said the Ospreys had a rollercoaster start to the season. Ultimately, Davies said the team was playing well but wasn’t winning enough games. 

“We’re hoping we can start a little bit faster,” Davies said.

The Ospreys open with a two-state road trip, visiting Wisconsin and California before returning to the southeast for the remainder of the season. Davies said if there’s anyone who could handle this roadtrip, it’s his experienced group.

“We wouldn’t have scheduled them if we didn’t have this type of group,” Davies said. “I think we’re ready for those games.”

Beyond his team’s experience, Davies said his squad takes on a “‘us against the world’” mentality. During road trips, Davies believes the team spends more time together, forging a team bond that doesn’t happen overnight. 

“Sometimes, when you’re at home, everyone’s locked away in their dorms,” Davies said. “Sometimes, on the road, you actually spend more time together.”

Most of all, Davies scheduled the best because he wants his team to play the best.

“We’re not scared of anyone,” Davies said. 

UNF will start its four-game road trip by traveling to Madison, Wisconsin. On Aug. 21 at 8:30 p.m., the Ospreys will kick off their season against the University of Wisconsin. 

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