Men's Soccer Falls in Defensive Battle

by Chris Whitehead
September 3, 2012

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida men's soccer team dropped a 2-1 match to FIU on Friday night at Hodges Stadium. Osprey goalkeeper Brad Sienkiewicz recorded nine saves in the match, tying for third in UNF history for most saves in a match.
 
Sienkiewicz made several stellar stops on the night en route to a career high nine saves. The transfer now has 17 saves on the year – 5.67 per match. Sienkiewicz recorded four saves in the first half and five in the second stanza.
 
FIU recorded 20 shots on the night including 11 shots on goal. Sienkiewicz was able to thwart most of the Panthers' offensive attack, including recording back-to-back saves on two separate occasions throughout the night.
 
Offensively, the Ospreys were only able to score one goal on the night. For the year, UNF now has six goals in three matches – 2.00 per match. Five different players have netted goals for North Florida in the early goings of the 2012 season.
 
Jean Rivaroli, the reigning Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, scored his second goal of the season, while Jake Frahm added an assist on the night.
 
In the 13th minute, the Ospreys were the first team to score. Rivaroli took a down field pass from Frahm and finished in the top left corner of the goal to give North Florida an early advantage.
 
FIU tied the match just before halftime. The Panthers' Quentin Albrecht headed a cross by Nicholas Rodriguez into the right corner of the goal for the equalizer.
 
The two teams went into intermission knotted at 1-1, but the Panthers broke the tie early in the second half. Albrecht dribbled past the defense and chipped the ball over the goalie's head for the go-ahead goal. The goal proved to be the match-winner as UNF was unable to score the tying goal.
 
North Florida returns to action on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. as the Ospreys take on Florida Atlantic in a nonconference match at Hodges Stadium. 

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