JACKSONVILLE -- Newcomer Ari Munoz tallied a brace in leading the Ospreys to a 3-1 victory against in-state rival FIU on a rainy night at Patton Field.

RECORDS
North Florida | 2-0-0 (0-0-0 ASUN)
FIU | 1-1-0 (0-0-0 CUSA)

GOALS
UNF - 37' | Ari Munoz (Thais Reiss)
UNF - 49' | Ari Munoz (Thais Reiss)
UNF - 51' | Thais Reiss (penalty kick)
FIU - 57' | Kedie Johnson (unassisted)

HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a mostly uneventful opening period played in intermittent heavy rains, Ari Munoz got the Ospreys on the board in the 37th minute when she followed up a shot attempt from Thais Reiss and touched it past the keeper in the middle of the goal box
- Munoz helped the Ospreys strike quickly out of the break, collecting a rebounded free kick attempt by Reiss that hit the post and settled at her feet in front of the goal
- Just over a minute later, Reiss added a goal to her tally when she successfully converted a penalty kick attempt
- FIU finally got on the board in the 57th minute when Kedie Johnson tracked down a deflected free kick on the back post and slipped it into the side of the goal
- The Panthers appeared ready to add a second goal but UNF keeper Mercedes Sapp stopped an FIU PK try late in the game
 

QUICK KICKS
- Reiss, the reigning ASUN Player of the Week, continued her strong play as she had a goal and two assists, making her a contributor on all three of the Osprey scores
- Munoz, a junior transfer from Miami, collected her first two goals of the season
- Sapp tallied her first saves of the season, highlighted by her PK stop
- Reiss is 2-2 on penalty kick tries this year
- North Florida has seen a brace (2 goals by a player) recorded in each of the team's two opening games
- Ospreys outshot the Panthers, 13-5, for the game
- UNF has now won three in a row vs FIU and lead the all-time series 4-3-1

FAULCONER TALES
"I was pleased with the result tonight in tough weather conditions.  Credit to Coach Garbar and his team. They could have gone way at 3-0, but they didn't. Sophia Thompson was fantastic with her defensive effort in the midfield.  She was an absolute warrior. She is the heart of this team. This was a coming out party of sorts for Ari Munoz.  Tonight we saw what we see every day in training.  She is a special talent and glad to see her pick up the brace. Mercedes Sapp's penalty kick save, I guess you can say saves, stopping both the initial PK and the retake was huge.  It was a big time play in a critical moment. We need to work a bit on taking the air of the game with the lead, but overall very pleased to be 2-0 on the young season."
- Head coach Eric Faulconer

UP NEXT
North Florida concludes its three-match home stand on Sunday, Feb. 14, hosting Kennesaw State in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Patton Park.