On a clear Friday night in Conway, S.C., the University of North Florida men’s soccer team defeated Coastal Carolina by a final score of 4-1. Three different Ospreys scored, including graduate forward Ricardo Ferreira, who scored his first-ever Osprey goal in the win.

First Half

UNF started the game off strong offensively, holding possession in the Coastal Carolina half of the field, looking to create opportunities. In the 6th minute, a free kick taken by senior attacker David Perez soared over everyone gathered in the box. The ball was eventually corralled by sophomore defender Rafa Rios, who skied it back into the penalty box. For a brief moment, it looked like the Ospreys might have a chance on goal, but the play was ruled offside.

Coastal Carolina struck first in the 39th minute when a mistake by graduate keeper Luciano Natoli found the feet of Chanticleer midfielder Loed Klaasen. He slid a pass quickly to fellow midfielder Christian Cook, who tapped in the easy chance for the 1-0 lead.

Just before the end of the half, the Ospreys responded. Junior defender Paul Shacherer caught the Coastal Carolina defense off guard with a long pass over the defense that found the foot of senior midfielder Pedro Amancio. Amancio, after deftly keeping the ball in play, squared it across to senior forward Jaxon Reinhardt, who finished off the opportunity to bring the game level going into half-time.

Second Half

The second half started slowly, with both sides blocking progression past the midfield and taking away potential chances until the 58th minute. Schacherer rolled a pass forward to senior defender Jaylen Yearwood, who let the ball roll between his legs and quickly turned to chase it, fooling the Coastal Carolina defender. Yearwood then placed a dangerous cross into the penalty area, but it was just out of the reach of the extended leg of Reinhardt.

With a little over 9 minutes left to play, Coastal Carolina nearly took the lead. Once again, it was Cook for the Chanticleers who looked dangerous, as he took a shot with his right foot from just outside the penalty box that looked destined for the top right corner. Natoli managed to keep it out with a dive to his left to keep the game square at one goal apiece.

Finally, in the 82nd minute, the Ospreys broke through. A  low-driven cross by Ferreira into the box skipped past junior defender Brian McManus Jr., who whiffed on an attempted shot. Instead of McManus, it was Coastal Carolina defender Lincoln Ulrich who accidentally put the ball in his own net, giving UNF the 2-1 advantage.

The Ospreys continued to mount offensive pressure, as a few minutes later, Ferreira slotted home a low-driven effort after receiving a pass from junior defender Ryuta Morioka. The goal was Ferreira’s first ever as an Osprey, and Morioka picked up his first assist as an Osprey as well.

UNF grabbed a fourth goal in the 90th minute. A quick series of one-touch passes between Ferreira and redshirt sophomore midfielder Mark Romano sent senior forward Luc Granitur in on goal through the left side. Granitur placed a shot past the outstretched arms of Coastal Carolina keeper Alec Laible for his second goal of the season.

Up Next

The Ospreys stay in-state to face off against SEC competition, South Carolina, in Columbia. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+

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