University of North Florida
MISSOURI STATE
UNF can't connect in 3-0 loss
9/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 5, 2007
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The University of North Florida men's soccer team unleashed a blistering attack on Missouri State when the squads faced off on Tuesday night, but the Ospreys could not find a way to convert those opportunities into scores against a tough keeper and a seasoned, physical defense in losing 3-0.
UNF outshot the Bears 19-9 and had 11 corner kicks to just four for MSU, but Missouri State capitalized on its opportunities to apply early pressure and hold the lead down the stretch in improving to 2-0 this season. UNF fell to 1-1.
The Bears scored their first goal on a Henry Lawrence free kick in the 33rd minute to take a 1-0 lead and carried that margin into halftime. In the second half, MSU padded its lead on a straightaway kick from Kyle Windmueller in the 50th minute, and Brian Collins added the final score of the night six minutes later.
At that point, the Bears clamped down defensively and used their size and strength to keep UNF at bay.
"We played on artificial turf, which was a first for a lot of our guys and it took some adjustment," UNF head coach Ray Bunch said. "They got their first goal on a free kick, and we were a little slow adjusting on the play. They came out in the second half and scored a good goal right off the bat and really put the pressure on our guys. Their keeper was very, very good, and they really battled hard after they got the lead. They got behind the ball and blocked shots and really worked hard against us."
The Ospreys outshot the Bears 9-4 in the first half and 10-5 over the final 45 minutes. Akil DeFreitas registered six of those shots, while Shareef Rajkumar added four. Frank Dinzey and Adam O'Neill each had two shots apiece.
Freshman Andrew Calise (1-1) took the loss in goal for the Ospreys, facing nine shots in 90 minutes with two saves. Lance Parker earned the win in goal for the Bears, going the distance with seven saves.
"I can't be upset with how played the majority of game," Bunch said. "The stats tell a good story for our guys. We just have to learn to finish and take advantage of our chances when we get them. It is disappointing because we made some silly mistakes and weren't able to finish, but our guys are coming out of this with the feeling that we can win games and compete with anybody. That is important."
UNF returns to action on Friday when it travels to Farmville, Va., to participate in the Longwood Invitational. The Ospreys play host Longwood at 8 p.m. on Friday and George Washington at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
