Friday, November 2
Fort Myers, Fla.
4 p.m.
University of North Florida
vs
Mercer
Photo by: Todd Drexler
Women's Soccer Preps for A-Sun Semis
11/1/2012 5:47:00 PM | Women's Soccer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The University of North Florida women's soccer team will attempt to make its deepest postseason run in program history this weekend, as they head to Fort Myers, Fla. to compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference semifinals against Mercer.
Last weekend saw the sixth-seeded Ospreys advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive season, as they bested third-seeded Kennesaw State in its home stadium, 3-1.
In that match, UNF took the offensive for a majority of the match. Junior forward Lauren Hopfensperger opened the scoring in just the sixth minute before sophomore midfielder Alexi Zaremba scored in the 37th minute and senior forward Michele Larrinaga sealed the match with a goal in the 69th minute.
Having secured a first-round bye with a second-place finish in the A-Sun this season, Mercer enters Friday evening's match off a 12-day stretch without a match. In their last match of the regular season, the Bears dropped a 1-0 decision at Florida Gulf Coast with the regular season A-Sun Championship at stake.
The Bears (12-4-3, 6-1-2 A-Sun) are led offensively by sophomore midfielder Lauren Gassie, a second-team All Atlantic Sun selection, who has tallied six goals and six assists for a team-high 18 points in 2012. Fellow sophomore Tess Patton has also notched six goals on the year.
Mercer's defense has also proved stalwart this season, as the Bears ended the regular season with a 0.63 goals-against average, the lowest in the A-Sun and 16th-best in the nation. Junior defender Devon Fry and senior Patricia-Anne Upson were both selected to the All-A-Sun First Team in recognition of their defensive efforts.
The Ospreys (8-9-2, 5-3-1 A-Sun) will look to counter the stingy Mercer defense with the most well-rounded attack of the teams remaining in the tournament, as four players have scored at least five times this season. Larrinaga and junior Thea Linkfield, a second-team All-A-Sun selection, have each scored six goals, while Hopfensperger and junior Carolina Lencina have each tallied five.
Lencina, Hopfensperger and Larrinaga have combined for 56 career goals and all rank in the top five among active A-Sun players.
Although the Bears defeated UNF 3-0 earlier this year on their home field, the Ospreys had won the three meeting prior to that. UNF had held Mercer without a goal in each of those three victories. The two teams have never met on a neutral field.
Links to live stats and free streaming for Friday's match is available on UNFOspreys.com.
Last weekend saw the sixth-seeded Ospreys advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive season, as they bested third-seeded Kennesaw State in its home stadium, 3-1.
In that match, UNF took the offensive for a majority of the match. Junior forward Lauren Hopfensperger opened the scoring in just the sixth minute before sophomore midfielder Alexi Zaremba scored in the 37th minute and senior forward Michele Larrinaga sealed the match with a goal in the 69th minute.
Having secured a first-round bye with a second-place finish in the A-Sun this season, Mercer enters Friday evening's match off a 12-day stretch without a match. In their last match of the regular season, the Bears dropped a 1-0 decision at Florida Gulf Coast with the regular season A-Sun Championship at stake.
The Bears (12-4-3, 6-1-2 A-Sun) are led offensively by sophomore midfielder Lauren Gassie, a second-team All Atlantic Sun selection, who has tallied six goals and six assists for a team-high 18 points in 2012. Fellow sophomore Tess Patton has also notched six goals on the year.
Mercer's defense has also proved stalwart this season, as the Bears ended the regular season with a 0.63 goals-against average, the lowest in the A-Sun and 16th-best in the nation. Junior defender Devon Fry and senior Patricia-Anne Upson were both selected to the All-A-Sun First Team in recognition of their defensive efforts.
The Ospreys (8-9-2, 5-3-1 A-Sun) will look to counter the stingy Mercer defense with the most well-rounded attack of the teams remaining in the tournament, as four players have scored at least five times this season. Larrinaga and junior Thea Linkfield, a second-team All-A-Sun selection, have each scored six goals, while Hopfensperger and junior Carolina Lencina have each tallied five.
Lencina, Hopfensperger and Larrinaga have combined for 56 career goals and all rank in the top five among active A-Sun players.
Although the Bears defeated UNF 3-0 earlier this year on their home field, the Ospreys had won the three meeting prior to that. UNF had held Mercer without a goal in each of those three victories. The two teams have never met on a neutral field.
Links to live stats and free streaming for Friday's match is available on UNFOspreys.com.
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