Featured Image: Justin Nedrow

At the hands of the Liberty Flames, the North Florida Ospreys have been bounced from the ASUN conference tournament due to a 1-0 loss.

On Thursday afternoon, the Ospreys faced the Flames in a match that saw the number one seed in the south UNF take on the number four seed in the north, Liberty. From start to finish, this one was a back and forth battle. The Flames would score the game-winner in the 79th minute off a breakaway by Meredith King.

The first half of the game was controlled by the Ospreys for the most part, as both teams had opportunities to score. Effective defensive pressure was crucial to stopping each team’s attacks, and the pressure was on early in the game. 

At the half, the score remained 0-0.

Coming out of the half, UNF looked determined to score first with aggressive play early, but the Flames would be able to dig deep and found ways to put the Osprey’s advances to rest. Starting to get opportunities of their own, Liberty made smarter possessions in the second half and found open Flames.

A well-placed pass in the 79th minute directed Meredith King to slide past Osprey defenders and gave her a breakaway that allowed her to score the game-winning goal.

The Ospreys would then use the next 10 minutes to try and save their season, but their attempts came up short, and the final whistle was blown.

The Liberty Flames now advance to the ASUN finals, where they will face the winner of FGCU vs. Kennesaw State that will start at seven today. The Ospreys will now have the offseason ahead of them, and this loss to the Flames will definitely sting for months to come.

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