JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida women’s soccer team battled rain and the Florida Institute of Technology in their season opener on Friday night at Hodges Stadium before dropping a 1-0 decision to the Panthers. 

 

FIT scored the only goal of the night with 19 minutes remaining in the match.  Florida Tech’s forward led a fast break up the middle bringing UNF’s goalie Rachael Howard out of the box for a one-on-one confrontation, but Panthers’ junior Alyssa Esposito chipped the ball over Howard using the poor conditions to her advantage, scoring her first goal of the season. 

 

“When it rains, it usually comes down to whose going to capitalize on the one chance you’re going to get,” commented assistant coach Morgan Church after the game.  “This week we focused playing on the ground and with the conditions it was kind of the opposite.  Everything we asked them to do they did it was a tough game with the weather.”

 

The two teams played aggressive throughout the night combining for 12 fouls in the contest.  Both teams tallied seven shots apiece with the Ospreys holding a 4-to-3 edge on shots on goal.  UNF took four corner kicks compared to just one by the visitors. 

 

UNF senior Elena Luzins paced the Ospreys with two shots on the nights that were both on goal.  Michele Larrinaga, Anna-Kaye Logan, Kristen Matteuzzi, Lauren Maze and Vladana Petricevic each added shots in the match. 

 

FIT pressured UNF in the ninth minute as sophomore Megan Stone sped passed the Ospreys defense drawing Howard out of the box, but due to Howard closing off her angles she was able to gobble up the ball at her feet.

 

Logan was able to fire-off a shot from about 40 yards out trying to slip up FIT’s senior goalie Melissa Pyles, but the shot was unsuccessful missing wide right.

 

More action came in the 39^th minute by sophomore Petricevic when she shot a ball within the box, but Pyles was able to get a hand on it and cleared by the FIT defense.

 

Numerous opportunities came to the Ospreys but with the poor field conditions, touch passes and footing were difficult to manage.

 

Sophomore Denisse Soltero made a beautiful cross to senior Katelin Swift but as she set up for the shot the ball was swallowed by a pool of water after 26 minutes into the second half.

 

The Ospreys will host the Osprey Classic next week playing Georgia State (Aug. 28) and Coastal Carolina (Aug. 30) for UNF’s first tournament of the season.