2016 ASUN Men's Soccer Bracket (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the first time ever, North Florida (9-3-2) will rumble with crosstown rival Jacksonville (7-9) in the ASUN Conference postseason. The two River City schools will meet for a 7:00 p.m. semifinal match Sunday night at Hodges Stadium.
Promotion: Free Scarves to the first 100 Students!
| Game Details |
| Date |
Sunday, Nov. 6 |
| Time |
7:00 p.m. |
| Location |
Jacksonville, Fla. (Hodges Stadium) |
| Opponent |
Jacksonville |
| Coverage |
ASUNTV | Live Stats |
Match Notes
How We Got Here: As the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in program history, the Ospreys took Friday night off and watched Jacksonville edge NJIT, 2-1 at Hodges Stadium. The difference in the game was a first half Kai Bennett score in the 36th minute that broke a 1-1 tie. Dolphin goalkeeper Patrick Harding was outstanding, turning away eight NJIT shots.
Playoff Rumble: Jacksonville and North Florida have met a total of 20 times in the past 22 years but never in the postseason. The Ospreys are winners of the last three matches against the Dolphins including this year's,
1-0 double overtime victory at Hodges Stadium. Since joining the ASUN the two schools have squared off 11 times and eight of them have been decided by one goal. The all-time series favors, Jacksonville, 10-9-1.
Playoff Experience: The Ospreys make their fourth-straight ASUN Tournament appearance and are seeking their fourth-straight ASUN Championship game appearance. The defending ASUN Conference Champions won their first ever tournament title last season after a 7-0 dusting of USC Upstate in the 2015 ASUN Championship Game.
Regular Season Wins: A testament to the progressive growth of the North Florida men's soccer program, the Ospreys won nine regular season games in 2016 matching a D-1 era (2005-present) record set back in 2008. A win Sunday night will equal the D-1 era single season mark set last year.
Super Ospreys: Head Coach
Derek Marinatos and his staff were recognized as the ASUN Coaching Staff of the Year for the second-straight season while senior
Jay Bolt was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and freshman
Adrian Nunez was voted ASUN Freshman of the Year. In the last four seasons, the North Florida has collected four of the five league superlative awards. The eight Ospreys that received ASUN honors were a league-high and tie the school mark set last year.
Home Field Advantage: The Ospreys are 4-0-2 at home this season and are unbeaten in their last 13 games at Hodges Stadium. The last loss to an ASUN opponent at Hodges Stadium was on Oct. 18, 2014, a 1-0 setback against Lipscomb.
Building the Wall: The Osprey defense has recorded three of its last four shutouts this season in ASUN Conference play, including one against Jacksonville on Oct. 14. Goalkeeper
Juanes Fajardo has a goals against average of 0.57, currently an ASUN and Osprey single season record. His season save percentage of .783 and only five goals against are also tops in the league.
About Jacksonville: The Dolphins make their first appearance in an ASUN Semifinal since 2010 and have not advanced to a league final game since 2007. Jacksonville punched their playoff ticket on the final day of the regular season, defeating Stetson 1-0 on the road. Every single ASUN game this season has been decided by one goal despite just a 2-4 mark in league play. The Dolphins are riding the hot play of goalkeeper Patrick Harding who was brilliant in Friday night's quarterfinal game. Kai Bennett, who scored the game-winner against NJIT on Friday night leads the team with five goals.
