In a game where the Ospreys dominated in every category except the one that mattered the most, the University of North Florida women’s soccer team battled to a 1-1 draw vs West Georgia in Carrollton on Saturday. 

Junior midfielder Isabella Pontieri led the Ospreys in shots with 13 total and nine on target. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Chrissa Avery made two saves on five shots faced.

First Half

Pontieri got the Osprey offense rolling early, ripping two shots within three minutes that forced saves from West Georgia keeper Emily Sanabria, who dived to her right to collect both shots.

In the 11th minute, Pontieri again got open and took a long-range shot, blasting it over the crossbar and out of play. A minute later, the Ospreys won the ball in the midfield area and Pontieri again attempted to score, but Sanabria made the save comfortably.

In the 13th minute, senior midfielder Chloe Lynch had an attempt blocked by the West Georgia defense before it could reach Sanabria.

The Ospreys continued to mount offensive pressure, dominating the half with their high-pressure defense and quick attacking play. Redshirt junior forward Paige McSwigan took a shot in the 24th minute that went wide to the left, and a few minutes later, Pontieri again took another two shots back-to-back that both went over the net.

West Georgia was finally able to put together an offensive attack in the 30th minute, as Wolves midfielder Rachel Higgins had an opportunity that was saved by Avery, who dove to her right to prevent a goal.

Sophomore midfielder Taylor Tamares and redshirt junior defender Brenna Robinson both added shot attempts late in the half, but despite their efforts, the game remained scoreless going into the halftime break.

Second Half

The Ospreys finally managed to break through the Wolves’ defense in the 50th minute off a set piece. Lynch took the corner and found the head of junior midfielder Zoe Looker, who placed her header past the outstretched arms of Sanabria. The goal was Looker’s second of the season, while Lynch collected her third assist of the season on the play.

UNF didn’t stop the pressure, as in the 52nd minute, Allison Souers took a shot that just missed the top left corner of the net, much to the relief of Sanabria and the rest of the Wolves’ defense. Another shot, this time by sophomore midfielder Sarah Frazier, went wide of the mark in the 57th minute.

Although Frazer had a shot blocked in the 69th minute, the action seemed to settle down, with both defenses looking strong until disaster struck for the Ospreys.

In the 81st minute, Wolves defender Kaialani Wise took a free kick from just inside the Osprey defensive zone. Defender Aleyshka Orellano attempted to take a shot on the volley, but she mistimed her attempt. Fortunately for West Georgia, the mishit shot went directly to midfielder Noemi Casique, who drove a well-placed shot into the bottom left corner past the diving Avery. The goal was Casique’s team leading fourth of the season.

While North Florida tried to take the lead back, they were unable to score any more goals as the game drew to a close. The Ospreys finished the game with their highest shot total on the season, registering 32 total shots in 90 minutes.

Up Next

The Ospreys will face Eastern Kentucky in the ASUN Championship quarterfinals at Pickering Field in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 pm. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+

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