Men’s Soccer Hosts Regional Showdown vs. FIU Friday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida men's soccer team will look to stay unbeaten when they host Florida International University (2-1-1) at Hodges Stadium on Friday night. The matchup between North Florida, ranked third in the latest NCSAA Southeast Regional Poll, and FIU ranked seventh will be streamed live on ASUNTV.

Game Details
Date	Friday, Sept. 9
Time	7:00 p.m.
Location	Jacksonville, Fla. (Hodges Stadium)
Opponent	FIU
Coverage	ASUNTV \| Live Stats

Game Notes
In the Polls: For the first time this season, the Ospreys received votes in the NSCAA National Top-25 Coaches Poll. North Florida is one of 22 additional teams outside the top-25 receiving votes. The final 2015 NSCAA poll was the last time the Ospreys were in consideration at the national level.

Moving on Up: As the only undefeated team in the ASUN, the Ospreys own the top NSCAA regional ranking among league foes at No. 3. FGCU who sits at 1-2-1 on the season is the only other ASUN team ranked in the region at No. 9. Last week the Ospreys were listed at No. 6 and FIU at No. 5.

Home Turf: The Ospreys are unbeaten in their last nine games (7-0-2) at Hodges Stadium. North Florida has a 3-0 win over Winthrop and a 2-2 tie with UNCG on its ledger so far this season. The last loss at Hodges Stadium occurred on August 30, 2015 against Georgia State.

Getting Defensive: For the second-straight week, a North Florida defender took home ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honors. Senior Jay Bolt recorded two assists including one on the game-winner and helped keep No. 27 N.C. State scoreless in the second half in a 3-2 victory last Sunday. It marked the second time in Bolt's career that the award has been bestowed upon him.

Top Offense: Despite playing just three games so far, the Ospreys eight goals on the year are the most in the ASUN. North Florida has hit the three-goal mark twice this season, a feat the Ospreys only matched four times in 2015.

Assist Man: Bolt's two assists against N.C. State last Sunday were the seventh and eighth of his career. Only two other Ospreys in the program's D-1 era (2006-present) have more career assists, Alex Morrell (19) and Shareef Rakjumar (10).

All-Time Series: Friday night will be the fourth meeting between the two schools and the first since the 2013 season. The Panthers took the first two matches of the series in 2011 and 2012 before the Ospreys registered a 1-0 victory in Miami in 2013.

About FIU: Coming into the preseason, the Panthers were ranked No. 23 in the NSCAA Preseason Coaches Poll after a 12-7-1 campaign that led them to a Conference USA Championship and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. FIU is unbeaten in their last three matches after a season-opening, 1-0 loss to Furman. The Panthers defense has not allowed a goal in the last two games including a 0-0 tie against visiting Niagra. Santiago Pantino has scored a team-high three goals on eight shots in 2016.

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Players Mentioned

Jay Bolt

Alex Morrell

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