Valiant Effort Falls Just Short for Men’s Soccer

Friday, October 12

Jacksonville, Fla.

7:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

-390 (030 ASUN)

Northern Kentucky

-471 (101 ASUN)

Northern Kentucky

North Florida

Photo by: Todd Drexler

10/12/2012 10:29:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (pdf)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida men's soccer team fought hard and posted an all-around team effort, but fell just short, dropping a 2-1 decision to Northern Kentucky on Friday night at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville.

North Florida scored a goal on 10 shots, including seven shots in the second half. The Ospreys tied the score 1-1 late in the second half and seemed to gain momentum, but shots by Jake Frahm, Alex Morrell, Teddy Mulamba and Alek Slaveski were unable to find the back of the net.

“Everyone on the team gave 110-percent tonight. It just didn't go our way tonight,” Mulamba stated after the match. “We had opportunities tonight. We just missed some chances. I had a couple of shots that just missed, but that's how it goes some times.”

Mulamba led the team with three shots, including two shots on goal. The sophomore's goal in the 78th minute knotted the score at 1-1. Morrell also added three shots on the night, while Slaveski notched two shots. Casey Caronis, Frahm, Morrell and Slaveski each registered shots on goal.

Defensively, Brad Sienkiewicz returned to the goal. The graduate student was injured in a match against Florida Atlantic and had not played since Sept. 14 against #25 UC Riverside. Sienkiewicz recorded four saves on the night and was assisted by a solid back row performance. The UNF defense registered six saves as a team, led by Sienkiewicz's four saves.

Northern Kentucky was the first team to score, breaking the scoreless deadlock in the 22nd minute. NKU's Nick Toney headed the ball into the middle of the box where Ian O'Reilly was waiting to put the ball in the back of the net.

Neither team was able to score in the final 23 minutes of the half, and the Norse entered intermission with a 1-0 advantage. In the first half, Northern Kentucky took seven shots compared to just three by North Florida. Two of the Ospreys shots in the first half were on goal while four of the Norse's came on goal.

The second half was fairly even with each team trading possessions. Both teams had opportunities early in the second half, but were unable to find the back of the net.

Mulamba tied the match in the 78th minute. The sophomore beat the defender one-on-one and hit a tight angled shot from the front right post and put it in the back left corner of the net. The goal was the second of the season for Mulamba and the 13th of the year for North Florida.

The goal by Mulamba sparked the Ospreys' offense and North Florida registered three opportunities to capture the lead. Less than two minutes after his goal, Mulamba had a chance to give the Ospreys the lead, but his shot hit the right goalpost and ricocheted out of the box. In the 81st minute, Frahm tried to give UNF its first lead of the match, but his shot attempt was saved by NKU's goalie A.J. Fleak. In the 84th minute, Slaveski fired a shot that was blocked by a Northern Kentucky player.

The Norse regained the lead in the 86th minute. Kevin Walker sent the ball forward to Craig Heard who was able to beat the Osprey goalie who was charging on the play for an easy tap in goal to go ahead 2-1.

Trailing 2-1, Morrell tried to tie the score before time expired for North Florida. The freshman's shot in the 89th minute was just wide, hitting the post. He fired a shot at goal that was scooped up by Fleak in the waning seconds of the match.

“I am extremely pleased with the way our guys played tonight,” head coach Derek Marinatos remarked. “We missed a couple of opportunities late that could have tied it for us. Frahm just missed. Teddy hit the post. Morrell had a couple of shots that could have gone either way. We played our hearts out tonight and left everything out there on the field. I am very proud of our performance tonight. I just wish the outcome would've been different.”

North Florida travels to Fort Myers, Fla. for a match on Sunday afternoon against Florida Gulf Coast. The match is slated for 2:00 p.m. at the FGCU Soccer Complex.