Redshirt Jaxon Reinhardt is no stranger to scoring big goals outside of Hodges Stadium. 

Nearly one year after becoming the first Osprey to score in an NCAA tournament game, the Phoenix, Arizona native already has two game-winning goals this season. 

And these goals weren’t scored at Hodges Stadium against some random team. Both game winners were on the road against Wisconsin and Jacksonville. 

Currently, UNF sits at 7-3 this season, having won six games in a row. Without those game winners, UNF would be a .500 team.

Instead of saying he’s built for the moment or the team wouldn’t win without him, Reinhardt credited his squad for making him “look good.”

“[I’m] super blessed to be on the field and represent the Ospreys and be just at the right place at the right time and be able to capitalize,” Reinhardt said. 

Reinhardt’s journey to becoming an Osprey

Born and raised near the Arizona desert, Reinhardt began playing soccer as a toddler. 

When he reached eighth or ninth grade, Reinhardt started to believe he could play Division One soccer. During his high school years, Reinhardt led his high school, Chaparral, to a state runner-up finish. 

Off the field, Reinhardt was also an all-state academic selection. Later on in high school, many coaches started to recruit Reinhardt. 

Battling the COVID-19 years of limited games and contact with coaches, Reinhardt received a scholarship offer to Grand Canyon University. Although he appreciated the offer, Reinhardt said his time as an Antelope “didn’t work out.”

As a result, Reinhardt decided to enter the transfer portal and travel to Jacksonville. Before moving to Florida, Reinhardt spent his whole life in the Phoenix area, making this decision a “culture shock.”

“Moving across the country, away from family, away from everything I knew,” Reinhardt said. “Everything I knew was there, and I just wanted to test myself.”

Deciding to get out of his comfort zone, Reinhardt knew “there was more out there” and transferred to UNF in 2023. 

Reinhardt’s early UNF years

Reinhardt’s main reason for choosing UNF was to “make an impact” on a struggling team. However, in his first year as an Osprey, Reinhardt hardly got a chance to impact the team. 

Under former head coach Derek Marinatos’ final season, Reinhardt only saw the field for 79 minutes. Additionally, UNF won zero ASUN games that year, prompting a coaching change at the end of the season. 

With a new coach coming in, Reinhardt could’ve easily transferred again, especially considering his lack of minutes and the team’s performance. But Reinhardt treated this transition in leadership as a “free transfer.”

“With Jamie Davies coming in, I used it as another opportunity to be in front of another coach,” Reinhardt said. “And it’s been awesome to see how Jamie has improved, my game has improved, and he really gave us [the] belief that we are great players.”

Therefore, as many say, the rest is history. 

Reinhardt’s accomplishments

Over the offseason, Davies likely saw something in Reinhardt because the forward received six times more minutes in his junior season. Finally getting his chance to perform, Reinhardt immediately made an impact.

Three games into the season, Reinhardt tallied his first career goal and brace against Winthrop. In conference play, Reinhardt scored two goals in four days, earning him his first ASUN Player of the Week award. 

To cap off his breakout year, Reinhardt became the first Osprey to score in an NCAA tournament game. Despite losing the game to West Virginia, UNF still won the ASUN Championship in Davies’s first season. 

Reinhardt’s senior season and how he hopes to finish it

If his junior season wasn’t impressive enough, Reinhardt has taken it up a notch so far this year. Ten matches into a 17-game season, Reinhardt is already one goal from matching last year’s mark. 

Nonetheless, Reinhardt isn’t focused on reaching this feat. 

“I’m not focusing on that goal count and just staying in the moment and focusing on what that game is asking from me,” Reinhardt said. “Just to help the team and make sure that at the end of the 90 minutes, we are in the win column.”

With 10 seniors on the team, this unselfish mindset is helpful. Instead of everyone wanting playing time or to be the boss, Reinhardt said his team is unified on a common goal of going deep in not just the ASUN tournament, but in the NCAA as well. 

“I think this team is super special in that no one cares who’s getting the spotlight, but more about how many goals we win by and just continue the upward trend as a team,” Reinhardt said. 

Slow starts but strong finishes 

While the Ospreys are on an upward trajectory, not every season, even under Davies, has been smooth sailing. In both of Davies’ first two seasons, UNF has started with losing records. 

After these starts, though, UNF has always bounced back with long winning streaks. 

“We are resilient,” Reinhardt said. “We may get knocked down, but we’re going to get back up and come back with a punch.”

On the coaching side, Reinhardt credits Davies for keeping the team together after losses, mentioning the trip to California, where UNF lost three games in a row but regrouped at home. 

“It’s been cool to see the character of our team,” Reinhardt said. 

How UNF and Reinhardt plan to stay successful

For UNF to keep extending its win streak, Reinhardt said the team needs to “stay in the moment.” With how fast time moves, the season and Reinhardt’s college career will be over in a blink. 

Personally, Reinhardt doesn’t have a specific way he wants to end his career. Ultimately, Reinhardt would like to leave the program better than he found it. 

“I just want to enjoy every moment and not take for granted what it’s like to be a part of such a great squad,” Reinhardt said. 

UNF men’s soccer will look to extend its win streak this Saturday, as the Ospreys host Florida Gulf Coast with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Hodges Stadium

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