Estes, Gun Take Home ASUN Men's Soccer Weekly Honors
11/2/2022 2:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
First Time with Multiple Honorees Since Spring 2021
ATLANTA - North Florida men's soccer reels in a pair of the weekly honors from the ASUN during the last week of regular season play, as announced on Wednesday afternoon by the conference office. LJ Estes earned ASUN Defensive Player of the Week for the fourth time in his career, while Micah Gun takes home his third ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week award of the season.
It is the first time since February 23, 2021, of the spring season that two Ospreys have won ASUN weekly awards on the same day, with Estes being one of the honorees that day. With Estes being selected as Defensive Player of the Week at the buzzer, the Ospreys now have won the award at least once over the past four seasons.
With his fourth-career ASUN honor this week, Estes becomes the leading honoree in the program for conference awards with four total in his six years at UNF. He is also one of 10 players in ASUN history to win the Defensive Player of the Week honor four times or more.
"I am obviously biased, but I feel LJ [Estes] is the best center back in the ASUN," said head coach Derek Marinatos. "He stepped up as a leader and captain on Friday and was unreal against Liberty scoring the game-winner. He has made his stamp on our program and is an outstanding young man with a bright future in life."
Gun has been exceptional in his starts this season, collecting his third honor from the ASUN on the season, which leads the conference in the debut of the Goalkeeper of the Week award. He took home back-to-back honors earlier in the year with a combined 11 saves in a pair of conference games.
The Houston, Tex., native faced his two biggest tests of the season with crucial matches against Liberty and Jacksonville to clinch the fifth seed in the ASUN Championship. He passed both with flying colors and will head into postseason play with three-straight shutouts under his belt.
"Micah [Gun] helped our team get another two shutouts this week," said Marinatos. "The competition of the goalkeeping, along with great team defending and Daryl Sattler, who is our volunteer coach from Epic GK, has made a difference for our team down the stretch."
LJ Estes
Sixth Year | Defender | Cantonnent, Florida
Micah Gun
Junior | Goalkeeper | Houston, Texas
It is the first time since February 23, 2021, of the spring season that two Ospreys have won ASUN weekly awards on the same day, with Estes being one of the honorees that day. With Estes being selected as Defensive Player of the Week at the buzzer, the Ospreys now have won the award at least once over the past four seasons.
With his fourth-career ASUN honor this week, Estes becomes the leading honoree in the program for conference awards with four total in his six years at UNF. He is also one of 10 players in ASUN history to win the Defensive Player of the Week honor four times or more.
"I am obviously biased, but I feel LJ [Estes] is the best center back in the ASUN," said head coach Derek Marinatos. "He stepped up as a leader and captain on Friday and was unreal against Liberty scoring the game-winner. He has made his stamp on our program and is an outstanding young man with a bright future in life."
Gun has been exceptional in his starts this season, collecting his third honor from the ASUN on the season, which leads the conference in the debut of the Goalkeeper of the Week award. He took home back-to-back honors earlier in the year with a combined 11 saves in a pair of conference games.
The Houston, Tex., native faced his two biggest tests of the season with crucial matches against Liberty and Jacksonville to clinch the fifth seed in the ASUN Championship. He passed both with flying colors and will head into postseason play with three-straight shutouts under his belt.
"Micah [Gun] helped our team get another two shutouts this week," said Marinatos. "The competition of the goalkeeping, along with great team defending and Daryl Sattler, who is our volunteer coach from Epic GK, has made a difference for our team down the stretch."
ASUN Defensive Player of the Week
LJ EstesSixth Year | Defender | Cantonnent, Florida
- First ASUN weekly award of the season; fourth award all-time at UNF.
- Scored game-winning goal off corner kick against Liberty to lead Ospreys to 1-0 victory on senior night.
- Recorded a career-high four shots, as well as three shots on goal, in the win against the Flames.
- Anchored a backline that didn't allow a goal in matches against College of Charleston, Liberty and JU.
- Only allowed four total shots against College of Charleston and six total shots against Liberty.
- Combined to only allow one shot on goal in all three games this week, including zero against Liberty and JU.
- Only the third Osprey this season to score a goal as a defensive player this past Friday night.
- Scored only the third goal of his career and his first since the 2018 season as a sixth-year player.
- Started and played all 90 minutes in match against LU, while also seeing playing time against Charleston and JU.
ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week
Micah GunJunior | Goalkeeper | Houston, Texas
- Third ASUN weekly award; only player with three honors in debut season of award.
- Didn't permit a goal crucial matchups against Liberty and JU to gain six points in conference play.
- Played all 90 minutes of the Liberty match and faced six total shots in front of the net.
- Started the first half of the JU game and only faced two shots, with no goals allowed.
- Now holds 4-1-3 record in games that he's started as the goalkeeper for the Ospreys.
- Fourth shutout start of the season and first win in home stadium against Liberty.
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