Oct. 30, 2007
UCF-UNF Box Score in PDF Format
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Despite holding the advantage in shots and corner kicks, UCF dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to North in men's soccer action at Hodges Stadium on Tuesday night.
After a scoreless first half in which the Knights outshot the Ospreys by an 8-4 margin, junior Mike Mattson (Boca Raton, Fla./Pope John Paul II HS) put UCF on the board in the 63rd minute. Senior Philip Michael Hall (Clermont, Fla./Eastridge HS) sent a low cross into a crowd in the box where Mattson connected. The lead held until a shot by UNF freshman Adam O'Neill found the left corner two minutes later. The assist went to senior Martin Schuhte.
The Knights (4-11-1) continued to pressure the ball and their persistence paid off in the 77th minute when freshman Nathaniel Jocelyn (Wellington, Fla./American Heritage HS) netted his first collegiate goal on a bullet from 40 yards.
The Ospreys (8-8-0) forced the match into extra session in the 81st minute as senior Oscar Ortiz deflected a shot in traffic. Freshman Akil DeFreitas then scored the golden goal 27 seconds into the first overtime.
The Knights finished the game with a 17-14 advantage in shots and a 7-0 margin in corner kicks. UCF freshman goalkeeper Sean Johnson (Lilburn, Ga./Brookwood HS) made three saves, while UNF freshman Andrew Calise had eight.
"We had opportunities to put them away, but couldn't finish our chances," said UCF head coach Bryan Cunningham. "UNF has some talented players and they were able to get the goal to put them on top. Now we have to regroup to take on South Carolina which is a pivotal match in qualifying for the Conference USA Championship"
UCF returns to action when the Knights entertain C-USA rival South Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. before playing host to Marshall in the regular-season finale on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pics.