Sophomore Akil DeFreitas lifted the University of North Florida men’s soccer team to its third Atlantic Sun Conference win Saturday night, netting his third game-winning goal of the season to give the Ospreys a 1-0 victory over Mercer.
UNF (6-6-0, 3-1-0 A-Sun) netted the only goal of the match a little over six minutes after play began. Sophomore Adam O’Neill served a cross from outside the left side of the box that found DeFreitas five yards out at the left side of the goal. DeFreitas headed the ball past Mercer keeper David Bird for his team-best fifth goal of the season. The assist was O’Neill’s first of the year.
Mercer (1-7-3, 1-2-1) managed just three shots and two corner kicks in the first half but revved up its offensive attack after halftime. The Bears tallied 13 shots in the second half. However, only four of their 16 shots in the match were on goal, and Osprey keeper Tony Restino made each save.
“We showed some fatigue in the second half,” Bunch said. “I feel confident in the conditioning of our guys but I think the field conditions from our last match really took it out of us.”
The Ospreys controlled play for most of the match, taking 15 shots with five on goal but the Bears put together several threatening runs in the second half. UNF was forced to step up its defensive play by nine Mercer corner kicks after the break. All four of the Bears’ shots on goal also came in the second half.
“There was a stretch where it seemed like every play was a corner,” Bunch said. “We defended the corners very well, which is something that we have done well all season. That theory was really put to the test tonight.”
O’Neill also fired five shots in the contest with two on goal. Freshman Juan Castillo and senior Mikhail Awai added shots for the Ospreys. The Bears were lead by Ryan Young, who took four shots, two on goal, and Bolade Ogunmade, who took three shots.
UNF takes a one-match break from A-Sun play on Tuesday to host Longwood at 4 p.m. before returning to league action on the road next weekend.