Women's Soccer Starts A-Sun Play This Weekend

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Atlantic Sun Player of the Week Katelin Swift and the rest of the University of North Florida women's soccer team will open A-Sun play on the road this weekend. On Friday, Sept. 25, UNF will face East Tennessee State at 4 p.m. in Johnson City, Tenn. and then on Sunday, Sept. 27 they will take on the University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans at 2 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.

Coming off a win in last week's UNF Hampton Inn Ponte Vedra Showcase against The Citadel, UNF has built momentum going into the weekend.

“This team put together two very good 90 minute performances in last weekend's games, which lets us come into this week's match with a little bit of confidence,” said head coach Linda Hamilton.

UNF enters conference play 3-5-1 overall, when ETSU is 1-7-0 and USC Upstate is 0-9-0.

UNF beat both ETSU and USC Upstate the previous two seasons and currently leads the all-time ETSU series 3-1. UNF and Upstate are 4-4-1 all-time.

The past two seasons against the Buccaneers and Spartans Swift has been able to pile up four goals. She has had an impressive start through non-conference play, leading the A-Sun in goals (7), goals per game (.78), points (17) and points per game (1.89). The senior is over halfway to breaking her total goal count of 10 from last season.

The Bucs in 2009 have dropped their last four matches and are 0-2 at home while the Spartans have dropped their last nine and are 0-4 at home.

“We have played this season one game at a time and we have to continue to take each opponent for who they are,” said Hamilton. “We know that on any given day any team can beat any team and we are as beatable on any given day as we are capable of beating someone else.”

In the A-Sun, UNF is first in points (45), goals (18) and goals per game (2.00). Seven different Ospreys have a goal on the season, including freshman Michele Larrinaga who has not started a single match game and is averaging only 51.33 minutes a game. Larrinaga is tied for second in the A-Sun for goals scored with five.

“This is a great freshman class, they have fit in so well,” said Hamilton. “A lot of them are getting some really good minutes which really helps with their development. This group has added a tremendous aspect to our program.”

Senior goalkeeper Rachael Howard has averaged 6.67 saves per game in her last three matches played. Though she sat out last week's Citadel match she will suit up and step back into goal for the Ospreys' first A-Sun showdown.

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