The Ospreys are no strangers to intense drama and high-stress finishes, having survived a penalty shootout against Stetson and an overtime thriller versus Bellarmine to claim the ASUN championship this season. But on this night, the soccer gods decided it was North Florida’s turn to feel the crushing weight of defeat.

In one of the most exciting games of the NCAA Tournament so far, the University of North Florida men’s soccer team lost a tight duel against North Carolina on Thursday night. After battling to a 2-2 draw through regulation and extra time, the Ospreys fell 6-5 in a penalty shootout to the Tar Heels, bringing an end to their historic season. 

Both Osprey goals were scored by redshirt senior forward and former Tar Heel Luc Granitur, who transferred to North Florida after spending two seasons at UNC without making an appearance.

First Half

After a cagey first 10 minutes of the match, the Tar Heels collected the first shot of the night. Defender Luca Nikolai unleashed a strike that he couldn’t keep on target; it sailed over the crossbar and out of play.

In the 21st minute, the Ospreys built their first real scoring chance. A long ball over the top of the Tar Heels’ defense by sophomore forward Geraldo Neto found senior defender Jaylen Yearwood. He put a low driven cross into the box intended for junior defender Brian McManus Jr., but North Carolina keeper Andrew Cordes was alert to step off his line and collect it.

The Ospreys believed they had the first goal of the match in the 40th minute. Junior midfielder Tyler Prebenda sprung Granitur loose behind the Tar Heels’ defensive line with an excellent pass over their defense. Tar Heels defender Callum Frogson managed to recover in time to stop Granitur from getting a shot off, but the ball deflected right into the path of Osprey senior attacker David Perez. Perez then rifled a perfect shot into the top right corner from a tight angle just outside the penalty box, past the diving Cordes for what looked to be North Florida’s third-ever goal in the NCAA Tournament. After a lengthy review, however, the goal was disallowed due to an offside call on Granitur during the initial pass by Prebenda.

North Florida didn’t let that slow them down. Just two minutes later, they broke through yet again. A beautiful line breaking pass from Rafa Rios found the sprinting Granitur, who this time was clearly onside. He placed a low-driven shot into the bottom left corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season, giving the Ospreys a 1-0 advantage going into half-time.

Second Half

The Tar Heels dominated the early portion of the second half, holding possession and keeping the Ospreys pinned in their own half for long stretches. They nearly took advantage of the sustained pressure in the 55th minute, when a flurry of shots was blocked by Prebenda and junior defender Paul Schacherer. Their defensive stand preserved the fragile lead.

In the 62nd minute, North Carolina once again nearly drew level. Tar Heels attacker Nacho Abeal, dribbled into the box and attempted to curl in a shot from close range. Natoli was called into action, barely managing to get a fingertip to it and pushing it past the post and out of play for a corner.

Five minutes later, the Ospreys had another goal wiped away. McManus curled a cross that Cordes failed to secure after colliding with his own defender, sending the ball to Yearwood. His shot hit the post and deflected off UNC’s Dylan Kropp and into the net, appearing to be an own goal. But a late foul on Neto for tugging Kropp’s jersey during the clearance attempt erased it, sparking frustration from the UNF sideline.

In the 70th minute, the Tar Heels finally broke through the Osprey defense. A corner kick for the Tar Heels led to a major opportunity, with the recycled ball being met by UNC defender Riley Berge. Rios briefly kept the Ospreys in front, being well positioned to clear the ball off the line. Unfortunately for North Florida, the clearance deflected directly to Tar Heels’ midfielder Jack Sandmeyer. With an acrobatic overhead kick, he stunned the Ospreys and fired up the home crowd, placing his shot into the bottom left corner past Natoli. The goal was Sandmeyer’s second of the season.

The Ospreys nearly responded in the 76th minute. After a long throw-in from the Tar Heels, North Florida looked to score on the counter. Prebenda dropped another long pass over the defense to Schacherer, who found Neto at the edge of the box. He attempted a scissor kick and struck it well, though right at Cordes, who made the easy save.

Then, in the 88th minute, disaster struck. A corner kick for the Tar Heels provided an opportunity for Nikolai to deliver a free cross that was headed into the back of the net by forward Dan Klink. With that goal, the freshman upped his tally to six on the season.

The final two minutes of regulation saw desperate play from North Florida, as they battled to keep their season alive. With time winding down, Rios booted the ball forward, hoping for some luck to go the Ospreys’ way. After the ball deflected off multiple UNC defenders, it fell perfectly for Granitur to take one final shot. With the final seconds trickling off the clock, Granitur took a shot on the volley with his right foot that sailed over Cordes’ gloves, off the crossbar, and into the net, sending the Osprey bench — and the fans who made the trip from Jacksonville — into pandemonium.

Extra Time and Penalties

After a dramatic finish to regulation, extra time produced few chances. The lone scare came in the 107th minute, when UNC’s Andrew Czech picked off a loose pass and broke into the box. Natoli reacted quickly, charging off his line to smother a heavy touch, and the two collided. After a brief stoppage for injuries, play resumed until the end of extra time, three minutes later.

As in the ASUN semifinal against Stetson, UNF subbed in redshirt junior Iu Pentinat for the shootout.

North Carolina’s Andrew Czech opened the penalties with a composed finish to give the Tar Heels a 1–0 lead. Luc Granitur answered immediately, sending Cordes the wrong way. UNC’s Abeal restored the advantage with a low shot down the middle before Prebenda buried his attempt into the top-left corner to make it 2–2.

Javier Hernandez converted for North Carolina, and Rios followed by placing his shot to the opposite side of Cordes, leveling at 3–3. Nikolai kept UNC perfect with a clean finish, but Neto responded with a patient, stuttered run-up to tie it 4–4.

John McDowell scored UNC’s fifth, and Anton Khelil matched him under pressure, keeping the shootout deadlocked at 5–5.

The first miss came from Bracken Serra, whose shot drifted wide, giving UNF a chance to advance. But redshirt sophomore Mark Romano’s effort was saved by Cordes, swinging momentum back to UNC.

Luis Vera then scored to put UNC ahead once more, setting up a must-make attempt for UNF. Sophomore Kaiss Mansouri struck his penalty well, sending Cordes the wrong way — but his shot rattled off the crossbar and stayed out, ending the Ospreys’ season.

What’s next?

The Ospreys have a lot to be proud of despite the bitter end to the season. They conclude the season with the program’s third NCAA Championship appearance and a 12-5-2 record. The 12 wins tie the program record for most in a single season and mark the highest total in the Division I era.

Since Jamie Davies was hired to lead the program on Dec. 5, 2023, North Florida has captured two consecutive ASUN titles, bringing their total to three in program history. They’ll be looking for a third straight title next season, a feat only matched by Lipscomb between 2021 and 2023. With North Florida men’s soccer as strong as it’s ever been, the Ospreys will aim to build on this season’s momentum and continue their rise in NCAA competition next season.

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