Sunday, October 3
Jacksonville, Fla.
2 p.m.
University of North Florida
vs
USC Upstate -- "Youth Soccer Day"
Photo by: JD Hysler
Women’s Soccer Set for Home Match against USC Upstate
10/2/2010 12:45:55 PM | Women's Soccer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After tying its best Atlantic Sun Conference start since 2007, the University of North Florida women's soccer team returns to play as it aims for a second consecutive A-Sun victory, facing off against USC Upstate. The Sunday afternoon match at Hodges Stadium is set to kickoff at 2 p.m.
Overall, the Ospreys are 4-8 (3-2 A-Sun), winning four of its last seven matches and dropping all but one match by just one goal this season. North Florida has put together one if its best starts in A-Sun Conference play in school history, blanking three of its five opponents in three wins and falling twice by just one goal. In addition, the squad has equaled or outshot its opponent in each of the last nine matches.
North Florida is coming off an impressive win against East Tennessee State in which the squad shutout the conference's most potent offense and won by its largest margin all season, 2-0. The women currently boast a 3-1 record while playing at home this season, and are outscoring opponents, 8-5, at Hodges Stadium.
USC Upstate is 3-9 (1-3 A-Sun) overall, and has dropped four of its last seven matches by a combined score of 4-13 in those games. In the team's last outing, the Spartans fell to conference foe Jacksonville, 5-1, in Jacksonville, Fla.
Historically, North Florida holds a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series and has won each of the last four meetings. The series began in 2000 when both schools were members of the Division II Peach Belt Conference, and other than a short break in 2005 and 2006, the two teams have met each year since.
Each meeting has been in the regular season other than 2000, '03 and '04 when the two schools met in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. In 2000, the Ospreys defeated the Spartans in the semifinals en route to claiming the conference tournament championship, while USC Upstate ousted North Florida in the semifinals but lost in the finals in 2003. The teams met again in the semifinals in 2004 when North Florida claimed a 0-0 double-overtime victory on penalty kicks, 5-4, and again won the tournament title.
The Ospreys have won all four meetings between the two schools in Jacksonville by a combined score of 8-2. North Florida came away with a 4-1 win in the most recent meeting, Sept. 27, 2009, in Spartanburg, S.C.
Offensively, the Ospreys have had eight different players score goals on the year, led by freshmen forwards Lauren Hopfensperger and Carolina Lencina who have netted five and three goals, respectively. Sophomore forward Michele Larrinaga who has found the net twice this season.
Hopfensperger is the team leader in goals (5), shots on goal (11), points (10) and game-winning goals, owning three of the clutch shots. She garnered the first game winner of her collegiate career against Francis Marion (4-3) on Sept. 10, her second against Mercer (1-0) on Sept. 24 and her third came more recently against East Tennessee State in a 2-0 win. The St. Augustine, Fla., native is also tied atop the conference leaderboard in the goal category.
Lencina, team leader in shots (24) and tied for the team lead in assists (2), last scored against Florida Gulf Coast, Sept. 19, in a narrow 2-1 loss, but also found the back of the net against Stetson on Sept. 17 to earn her first collegiate game-winning goal as the Ospreys claimed the win, 1-0.
Larrinaga scored her pair of goals on two shots in just three minutes and 19 seconds against Saint Mary's on Aug. 29. Larrinaga was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week (Aug. 30) for her efforts.
Defensively, North Florida will be looking to keep USC Upstate's freshmen Jessica Jackyra and Danielle White, who have two goals each this season, off the board. The Spartans lead the A-Sun in saves (101), but have also had the most save opportunities in the conference with opponents placing 127 shots on goal, including 26 finding the back of the net on the year.
Overall, the Ospreys are 4-8 (3-2 A-Sun), winning four of its last seven matches and dropping all but one match by just one goal this season. North Florida has put together one if its best starts in A-Sun Conference play in school history, blanking three of its five opponents in three wins and falling twice by just one goal. In addition, the squad has equaled or outshot its opponent in each of the last nine matches.
North Florida is coming off an impressive win against East Tennessee State in which the squad shutout the conference's most potent offense and won by its largest margin all season, 2-0. The women currently boast a 3-1 record while playing at home this season, and are outscoring opponents, 8-5, at Hodges Stadium.
USC Upstate is 3-9 (1-3 A-Sun) overall, and has dropped four of its last seven matches by a combined score of 4-13 in those games. In the team's last outing, the Spartans fell to conference foe Jacksonville, 5-1, in Jacksonville, Fla.
Historically, North Florida holds a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series and has won each of the last four meetings. The series began in 2000 when both schools were members of the Division II Peach Belt Conference, and other than a short break in 2005 and 2006, the two teams have met each year since.
Each meeting has been in the regular season other than 2000, '03 and '04 when the two schools met in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. In 2000, the Ospreys defeated the Spartans in the semifinals en route to claiming the conference tournament championship, while USC Upstate ousted North Florida in the semifinals but lost in the finals in 2003. The teams met again in the semifinals in 2004 when North Florida claimed a 0-0 double-overtime victory on penalty kicks, 5-4, and again won the tournament title.
The Ospreys have won all four meetings between the two schools in Jacksonville by a combined score of 8-2. North Florida came away with a 4-1 win in the most recent meeting, Sept. 27, 2009, in Spartanburg, S.C.
Offensively, the Ospreys have had eight different players score goals on the year, led by freshmen forwards Lauren Hopfensperger and Carolina Lencina who have netted five and three goals, respectively. Sophomore forward Michele Larrinaga who has found the net twice this season.
Hopfensperger is the team leader in goals (5), shots on goal (11), points (10) and game-winning goals, owning three of the clutch shots. She garnered the first game winner of her collegiate career against Francis Marion (4-3) on Sept. 10, her second against Mercer (1-0) on Sept. 24 and her third came more recently against East Tennessee State in a 2-0 win. The St. Augustine, Fla., native is also tied atop the conference leaderboard in the goal category.
Lencina, team leader in shots (24) and tied for the team lead in assists (2), last scored against Florida Gulf Coast, Sept. 19, in a narrow 2-1 loss, but also found the back of the net against Stetson on Sept. 17 to earn her first collegiate game-winning goal as the Ospreys claimed the win, 1-0.
Larrinaga scored her pair of goals on two shots in just three minutes and 19 seconds against Saint Mary's on Aug. 29. Larrinaga was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week (Aug. 30) for her efforts.
Defensively, North Florida will be looking to keep USC Upstate's freshmen Jessica Jackyra and Danielle White, who have two goals each this season, off the board. The Spartans lead the A-Sun in saves (101), but have also had the most save opportunities in the conference with opponents placing 127 shots on goal, including 26 finding the back of the net on the year.
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