WOMEN'S SOCCER WEEKLY: Lady Ospreys rumble to season's end

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than just ending the season on a high note will be at stake for the University of North Florida women's soccer squad on Thursday, when the Lady Ospreys wrap up the season with a trip across town in hopes of grabbing a year's worth of bragging rights.

Schedule

UNF (6-10-2, 3-5-0 A-Sun) will try for its third-straight win against Jacksonville (8-8-1, 5-4-0) in a SunTrust River City Rumble match on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Dolphins split results last weekend, rolling over Lipscomb, 3-0, and falling in overtime to Belmont, 3-2, but have clinched a spot in the 2008 A-Sun tournament.

The Lady Ospreys and Dolphins are locked at 3-3 in the all-time series, and UNF has won three of the four meetings since joining the A-Sun. This season, JU has won its last three matches at home and is 3-3-1 on its home field.

Though ineligible for the conference tournament due to reclassification, UNF can still have an impact on the tournament seeding. JU currently sits as the sixth seed and would remain that way if the Lady Ospreys win on Thursday. Fifth-seeded Stetson has the same record as the Dolphins but holds the tie-breaker after a 5-1 win over the Dolphins. To move up to the fifth seed, JU needs a win and a Stetson tie or loss against Florida Gulf Coast, or a tie and a Stetson loss. Click here for complete A-Sun standings.

ASUN.TV

UNF at Jacksonville – Thursday, Oct. 30 – 7 p.m.

Week Recap

Last Friday at Belmont, UNF suffered its third shutout loss in A-Sun play this season when the Bruins tallied four goals and handed the Lady Ospreys their fifth loss in six matches. UNF took four shots on goal in the match with four players taking one apiece. Click here for the full story.

Two days later against Lipscomb, the Lady Ospreys regrouped and exploded for 29 shots while posting their second shutout of the season. However, UNF could not manage a goal either, and the two battled to a scoreless overtime tie. Click here for the full story.

Who's Hot

Newcomers have played a vital role for the Lady Ospreys this season with four freshmen and two transfers establishing themselves as starters and major contributors. Against Lipscomb, freshmen Vladana Petricevic and Denisse Soltero each rattled off five shots, while three freshmen, Soltero, Samantha Keyes and Kristen Matteuzzi played all 110 minutes. Transfers Kristin Rhodes and Anna-Kaye Logan have also made major impacts, with both starting 15 matches and seeing more than 1,200 minutes of action.

Record Watch

Senior Elizabeth Gowan already owns a spot in the Lady Osprey career record book with 15 career assists, which ranks tied for seventh all-time, and is now moving up another career list. She has played in and started 69 games in her career at UNF, which places her tied for sixth on the career list (tied with Tessa Heer). She will take sole possession of the same spot with a start at JU on Thursday.

Quotables

Head coach Linda Hamilton on a strong finish to the season: “We obviously want to end the season on a high note, but there a year's worth of bragging rights are also on the line. I think this is a great rivalry that is always very exciting.”

Head coach Linda Hamilton on the team's performance last weekend: “We bounced back well after a sub par performance on Friday. I am proud of the way the girls responded on Sunday. We did a great job of setting up our scoring opportunities but just couldn't find the back of the net.”

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