In the Ospreys’ final game before the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) championship is set to begin, the University of North Florida men’s soccer team fell by a score of 4-1 against the Stetson Hatters. Junior defender Paul Schacherer scored the Ospreys’ lone goal of the night, while graduate keeper Luciano Natoli made five saves.
Osprey head coach Jamie Davies was shown a red card in the 71st minute of play, rendering him unavailable to actively coach on the sidelines for North Florida’s upcoming ASUN championship match.
First Half
The Ospreys collected the first shot of the night in the 7th minute, with junior defender Jaylen Yearwood making a run in from the corner flag towards the goal and attempting to place a shot past Hatters goaltender Nicolo Radaelli. The shot never found its mark, however, as multiple Stetson defenders were there to shepherd the ball out for a corner kick.
Stetson responded with a shot of their own in the 15th minute from midfielder Afonso Conde, a shot that forced Natoli to dive to his left to collect his first save of the night.
The Hatters continued to mount offensive pressure, nearly breaking through in the 17th minute after a careless foul by senior defender Tyler Prebenda on Hatters midfielder Benjamin Donato gave Stetson an opportunity from the penalty spot. Midfielder Andres Mata stepped up to take it, lashing it down the middle but Natoli stood his ground, making the save to keep the game scoreless.
Mata ended up getting his goal in the 26th minute, as a chaotic moment in midfield left Mata 1v1 against Natoli. This time, he chipped the Osprey keeper, a calm finish that put the Hatters ahead.
After the referees called a foul on a challenge by sophomore midfielder Anton Khelil (a call the French midfielder objected to), Stetson forward Zsombor Pall took advantage of the free kick opportunity. He placed a left-footed shot perfectly past the diving Natoli, doubling the Hatters’ lead to 2-0 with his fourth goal of the season.
The Ospreys managed to get one back in the 36th minute. A long throw-in by senior defender Alex Barnett found the head of junior defender Brian McManus Jr., who unselfishly flicked it on for Schacherer to head across the goal to cut the deficit in half.
Second Half
Stetson dominated the game for long stretches in the second half, suffocating the Osprey offense with well-timed tackles and a midfield press that UNF was unable to play through. The first shot of the half came courtesy of Donato, who blasted a long-range effort over the crossbar and out of play in the 56th minute.
In the 65th minute, Pall reestablished the two-goal lead with his second of the night. Forward Daniel Makowem received a pass at the top of the 18-yard box and laid off a short pass to Pall, who fired a laser over the outstretched arm of Natoli.
The bad news only got worse for the Ospreys, as in the 71st minute, Davies was shown a red card and expelled from the sidelines after expressing his displeasure with how the match was being officiated. With the ejection, Davies will now be forced to watch the semifinals of the ASUN conference tournament from a distance, leaving assistant coach Alex Rangel in charge of game management in the crucial playoff matchup.
A few minutes later, the Hatters put the finishing touches on the win after a cross into the box by defender Andres Rodriguez was stabbed home by Mata for his brace.
With the victory, the Hatters dramatically qualified for the ASUN championship following a draw between Florida Gulf Coast and Jacksonville that secured their berth in the tournament.
Up Next
The Ospreys return home to begin their quest to repeat as ASUN champions in the conference tournament at Hodges Stadium on Monday, Nov. 10. They will face off against either Stetson for the second time in as many matches or Central Arkansas. The kick-off is scheduled for 7 pm, with the game available to stream on ESPN+.
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