Men’s Soccer Falls to No. 25 UC Riverside

Friday, September 14

Riverside, Calif.

11:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

3-3-0

#25 UC Riverside

6-0-0

North Florida

UC Riverside

Photo by: Todd Drexler

9/15/2012 2:03:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (pdf)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The University of North Florida men's soccer team dropped the opening match of the UCR/Courtyard by Marriott Soccer Invitational on Friday night to tournament-host UC Riverside, 5-0 at the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium.

The Highlanders posted a strong advantage in shots (28-to-4) and shots on goal (16-to-2). The Ospreys recorded 11 saves as a team compared to two by UCR.

Brad Sienkiewicz earned the start, but was relieved by Kyle Nasta in the 20th minute of the match. Sienkiewicz recorded three saves in the match, while allowing one goal. Nasta notched eight saves in the match, but surrendered four goals. As a team, the Ospreys recorded double-digit saves for the third consecutive match. North Florida had 10 saves against both Florida Atlanta and Georgia Southern.

Offensively, UNF was unable to score a goal in the match. Four different Ospreys recorded shots in the match – Alex Morrell, Jean Rivaroli, Drew Spragg and Chris Yurkiewicz. Morrell and Spragg each posted shots on goal in the contest.

UC Riverside's Ruben Valencia put the Highlanders on the board with 17:03 gone in the first as he rose above the Ospreys defense following a Richie Osborne corner kick to head the ball past the keeper. Sienkiewicz was replaced less than two minutes later by Nasta.

Ivan Garcia was on the receiving end of passes from Osborne and Neil Ignacio to put the Highlanders up 2-0 with 22:12 gone in the period.

Aaron Long made it 3-0 UCR with 11 seconds to go before the half when Otis Earle's cross was redirected by Ulises Mosqueda, and Long was there to push it past the North Florida defense.

The Highlanders didn't let up in the second period as Joseph O'Connor put UC Riverside up 4-0 following the rebound of a missed shot.

Mosqueda notched the final score of the match in the 58th minute of action when Earle found him free in the box for his first goal of the season.

North Florida continues the UCR/Courtyard by Marriott Soccer Invitational on Sunday evening as the Ospreys face San Diego State in a match slated for 6:30 p.m. (ET). The Aztecs enter the match after claiming the first match of the UCR/Courtyard by Marriott Soccer Invitational against Nebraska Omaha, 3-2.