Box Score (PDF)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the second-straight season the North Florida men's soccer team will be playing for a spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship game after a convincing, 5-0 win over fifth-seeded USC Upstate in tonight's first round match.
 
In the process, the Ospreys tied the single-game record with 14 points on the night. Four of the five goals had an assist attached to it, tying the team point mark set by the squad in the first game of the 2014 season. The five goals are the most ever in a postseason match and the Ospreys will be playing in the A-Sun semifinals back-to-back years for the first time since joining the league in 2005.
 
"I know the score doesn't reflect it but Upstate gave us a hard-fought challenge tonight," said Head Coach Derek Marinatos."A credit to them, we dodged a bullet early in the first half and they came out in the second have very direct, pushing us. I'm really proud of our effort tonight."
 
Goals came from unlikely sources for the fourth-seeded Ospreys who netted two first half goals. Sophomore Jay Bolt was the offensive spark plug for the North Florida in the early going, having a hand in each of the first two scores. The defender was the recipient of a nice give-and-go with Milan Kovacs in the eighth minute for game's first tally. The goal was the first of the season for Bolt and the second of his career.
 
Bolt found himself in the middle of the offensive action again in the 38^th minute. The defender carried the ball down the right sideline and fired a ball into the box to a streaking Dimitri Zervos who one-touched the ball into the right side of the net for the score. The goal was the first of Zervos' career and it gave the Osprey a commanding 2-0 lead going into the break.
 
The 2014 Atlantic Sun Goalkeeper of the Year, Kyle Nasta was tested early and rose to the occasion. The junior made a spectacular, diving save early in the first half to keep the contest scoreless. He finished the night with four saves and recorded his fifth shutout of the season. The shutout ties the school record held by former teammate, Brad Sienkiewicz who poste five in 2013.
 
After an initial push by the Upstate offense in beginning portion of the second half, North Florida attack kicked back into gear and scored three more times to put the game out of reach. Senior Christopher Bush tallied his first career goal in the 74^th minutes. Kovacs finished off his three-point night with his second goal of the year a little over four minutes later.
 
Sophomore Simen Solstad added to his team-lead with his sixth goal of the year in the 88^th minute. It was his first time on the score sheet since September after starting the season with a score in four of his first five games.

The Ospreys improve their A-Sun Playoff record to 3-1 under Marinatos. North Florida improved its overall record to 7-6-1 on the year.
 
The Ospreys will move on to play top-seeded Lipscomb on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. EST. The Bisons earned a first round bye in the 2014 Championships and came away with a 1-0 victory over North Florida at Hodges Stadium on Oct. 18.