Men's Soccer | 8/23/2018 10:47:00 AM

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida men's soccer team opens their 2018 season with a pair of home matches this weekend in the Mike Gibbs Memorial Tournament at Hodges Stadium. The Ospreys will take on Mercer on Friday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. before hosting Appalachian State on Sunday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m.

Gameday Central
Date: Friday, Aug. 24 | Sunday, Aug. 26
Time: 7 p.m. (Both Games)
Location: Jacksonville, Fla. (Hodges Stadium)
Opponents: Mercer | Appalachian State
Coverage: Live Stream | Live Stats
 
Quick Kicks

• The Ospreys welcome 12 new players into the fold for the 2018 campaign.
• North Florida returns six starters from last season.
• Senior Tawan Seles was selected to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team.
• Mikey Connell and Collin Scott led the Ospreys with three and two assists, respectively last season.
• Shane Nicholson returns for his senior season after ranking third on the team with 1,083 minutes logged, the most among the returning players.
• The Ospreys will need to replace 13 of their 15 goals from 2017.
• UNF was picked seventh in the ASUN Preseason Poll.
• Head coach Derek Marinatos enters his eighth season at the helm of the UNF program.

Thoughts From the Top

"We are looking forward to kicking off the 2018 season and seeing our guys in action in the Mike Gibbs Tournament on DMSA Camper Appreciation weekend with two tough opponents in Mercer and Appalachian State at home," said head coach Derek Marinatos.

Scouting the Mercer Bears

Mercer begins the 2018 season after posting a 7-9-6 overall record and 4-4-2 mark in the Southern Conference last year.

Jake Mezei and Roberto Arteaga return after finishing third on the team with three goals apiece in 2017. The Bears return 13 players from last year's squad, reloading with 13 newcomers, including 11 true freshmen.

Head coach Brad Ruzzo is in his 11^th season leading the Bears and has notched a career record of 89-86-24.

Series History

The Bears lead the all-time series over the Ospreys, 6-5-1. In their last meeting, Mercer edged UNF 2-1 on Nov. 3, 2014 in Macon, Ga.

Scouting the Appalachian State Mountaineers

Appalachian State enters the new season coming off a 5-8-6 season in 2017, including a 0-3-2 record in the Sun Belt Conference. The Mountaineers return 10 starters from last season and welcome 14 newcomers to this year's squad.

Sophomore Juan Hernandez led the team with two goals and six points while second on the team with two assists in 2017. Goalkeeper Jake Chasteen posted a 3-6-3 record with a 1.08 goals-against average and a .754 save percentage.

Head coach Jason O'Keefe enters his third season leading the Mountaineer program after notching a record of 10-17-10 in the first two seasons.

Series History

UNF leads the all-time series with the Mountaineers, 1-0. The Ospreys defeated Appalachian State in a 3-2 decision on Aug. 28, 2015 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Up Next

The Ospreys will hit the road next weekend as UNF travels to Statesboro, Ga. to face Georgia Southern on Friday, Aug. 31 before facing Tulsa on Sunday, Sept. 2 in Tulsa, Okla.