An impressive freshman campaign that included a team-high seven goals in 2007 earned University of North Florida men’s soccer sophomore forward Akil DeFreitas 2008 preseason All-Atlantic Sun Conference team honors on Wednesday.
DeFreitas also topped the team with four gamewinners and 17 points, along with three assists, which ranked second on the 2007 squad. The Port of Spain, Trinidad,native is one of six sophomores to earn preseason all-conference honors this year.
DeFreitas and the Ospreys finished fourth in the A-Sun standings last season, the same position they are expected to fill this season, according to the preseason coaches’ poll, also released on Wednesday.
“After being picked near the bottom in last year’s preseason poll, I am happy to see that we are closer to the top this time,” Bunch said. “It does put more pressure on us to perform on the field, though. But I believe our guys can stand up to the challenge.”
Campbell, Jacksonville, and Stetson were picked one, two, and three in the poll ahead of the Ospreys. UNF faces two of those opponents – Campbell (Oct. 9) and Jacksonville (Oct. 26) – at Hodges Stadium this season. Campbell and Stetson each placed four players on the preseason team, and Campbell’s Richard Jata was tagged as the preseason player of the year.
UNF returns eight starters and 14 letterwinners from last year’s team that finished 5-4-0 in league play and 8-9-0 overall. DeFreitas, who will be looked to as the Ospreys top marksman will try to set the tone for a group 11 newcomers, including four from high school.
“It puts pressure on Akil as well,” Bunch said. “Other teams know what he can do and they have had a year to prepare for him. Now that he will be marked, he will need to work even harder to repeat his success of last year.”
The team’s hard work will be put to the test for the first time on Aug. 20 when Rollins College will come to Hodges Stadium for an exhibition match. The Ospreys will travel to the west coast to open the season on Aug. 30 at UC-Irvine’s tournament in California.