#MSOC Returns Home to Open @AtlanticSun Play

Friday, October 4

Jacksonville, Fla.

7:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

East Tennessee State

Photo by: Todd Drexler

10/3/2013 3:56:00 PM | Men's Soccer

By: North Florida Athletics

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After playing four of the last five nonconference matches on the road, the University of North Florida men's soccer team returns to home to Patton Park to host East Tennessee State in the Ospreys' Atlantic Sun Conference Opener. The match is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. at Patton Park.

North Florida enters conference play with a 4-2-1 overall record – the best start of the Ospreys in the Division I Era. ETSU comes to Jacksonville, 2-3-3 overall. The match will be the first conference event for both teams.

The Buccaneers own the all-time series defeating the Ospreys in four of the five meetings. North Florida won the first meeting between the two schools, 2-1, in Johnson City, Tenn. on Oct. 3, 2008. ETSU won the next four matches. The last time the two teams met in Jacksonville, Enrique Haeussler (2010-11) scored a pair of goals to give the Ospreys a 2-1 advantage, but a late goal tied the match and the Bucs were able to secure 3-2 victory in double overtime.

This season the Ospreys have had nine different players score points this season. Alex Morrell leads the team in points with seven. Morrell is tied with Pedro Carneiro, Jean Rivaroli and Drew Spragg for the team lead in goals scored with two. Morrell has three assists to pace the team, one more than Jon-Michael Vieira.

Defensively, Brad Sienkiewicz has posted 653:29 minutes at goal. The graduate student has posted 28 saves, while surrendering just eight goals for a goals against average of 1.10. Sienkienwicz has posted a pair of shutouts this season.

Scouting the Opposition:
After helping anchor an injury-depleted lineup over the weekend, senior defender Blaike Woodruff was named Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Week. Woodruff played 215 of a possible 220 minutes over two games and helped ETSU to its league-best fifth shutout of the season.

The Buccaneers had an impressive start to their September, boasting a four-match unbeaten streak against Kentucky (W, 1-0), Winthrop (T, 0-0), Memphis (T, 0-0) and No. 8 UAB (W, 1-0) with four consecutive shutouts.