TAMPA, Fla. – Goalkeeping was the name of the game on Friday, as University of North Florida (UNF) keeper Micah Gun stopped seven shots in a scoreless draw with the Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU) Eagles.

In a game that was moved away from FGCU’s Fort Myers campus due to the impact of Hurricane Ian, the UNF Ospreys fought to earn a point in a defensive battle. While one meager point may not initially seem significant, it does enable UNF to stay afloat in the race for the ASUN regular season championship. 

The Ospreys struggled to make their presence known on offense early in the match. In response, a slew of substitutions followed for Derek Marinatos’ squad in the 25th minute. This did little to change things, though, as UNF was only able to produce one shot.

In stark contrast, the Eagles ripped off six shots, three of which were on target. Gun came through, though, putting a stop to everything that came his way. Quality defense on both sides led to a scoreless first half, much like UNF’s win over Queens University of Charlotte on Monday.

Gun’s strong keeping in that match drew attention, but Friday’s performance only continued to amaze onlookers. The Houston, Texas native closed out the evening with a total of seven saves, a new career high.

A potential break for UNF came in the 58th minute, when FGCU defender Nadav Ohayon was sent off with a red card. Any advantage dissipated almost immediately, though, as UNF defender LJ Estes was also booked, knocking things back down to an even 10 versus 10.

FGCU let off a volley of shots in the second half, but Gun held his ground. When everything was said and finished, the Eagles outshot the Ospreys 15-3. This didn’t matter, though, as a couple of last-minute shots by FGCU went wayward, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw. 

The Ospreys are now tied with Liberty University for sixth in the ASUN standings, just three points – or one win – away from finding themselves in the top three. UNF will look to carry this momentum into next Saturday’s home duel against Bellarmine, where a win could change the trajectory of the season.

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