UNF Takes 2nd in Mike Gibbs Tournament

by Chris Whitehead
August 27, 2012

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida men's soccer team was edged by Georgia State, 3-1, in the Mike Gibbs Memorial Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Hodges Stadium. The Ospreys finished the tournament 1-1-0 to claim second place in the event. For their efforts, UNF players Jake FrahmJean Rivaroli and Brad Sienkiewicz were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
Freshman Camilo Garcia recorded his first collegiate goal. Garcia, along with Casey Caronis, led the team with two shots.Alex Morrell and Luis Daniel Camejo each added a shot on the day with Camejo's coming on goal.
 
Sienkiewicz boasted four saves in the match, but took the loss surrendering three goals. The transfer had two saves in each half, including an acrobatic stop in the first stanza. Sienkiewicz earned the victory over Siena on Friday night with four saves in the match to earn All-Tournament accolades.
 
In the match, the Ospreys took six shots compared to 12 by the Panthers. GSU used a prevalent tail wind in the second half to record nine shots, including five shots on goal. UNF tallied four saves compared to just one by GSU.
 
The Ospreys were the first team to score, netting a goal in the 26th minute. UNF's Garcia placed a shot from 25 yards out into the top left corner of the net to put North Florida ahead, 1-0. The goal was Garcia's first collegiate goal and the fifth goal for the Ospreys in two matches.
 
The two teams played even the final minutes of the first half with North Florida taking the 1-0 advantage into halftime.
 
Georgia State answered in the 53rd minute as Alex Vivanco took a through ball from Peter Kurowski to 18 yards and beat the goalkeeper one-on-one to the bottom right corner.
 
The Panthers took the lead in the 61st minute as Caleb Kernan converted a diving header off of a cross from William Mellors-Blair just inside the left goal post to put the visitors in front 2-1.
 
Vivanco, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, added an insurance goal in the 65th minute. He punched in a one-touch into the back of the net off of a low cross from Gimel Gordon on the right side.
 
North Florida returns to action on Friday, Aug. 31, as the Ospreys take on FIU. The match is part of a doubleheader with the UNF women's soccer team. The women's soccer team plays Georgia Southern at 6:00 p.m. with the men's match slated for approximately 8:30 p.m.
 
Mike Gibbs Memorial Tournament Results
1st place – Georgia State (2-0-0)
2nd place – North Florida (1-1-0)*
3rd place – Siena (1-1-0)
4th place – Jacksonville (0-2-0)
 
* – North Florida defeated Siena head-to-head to earn second place honors
 
Mike Gibbs Memorial Tournament All-Tournament Team
Alex Vivanco, Georgia State (Most Valuable Player)
Peter Vania, Georgia State (Defensive MVP)
Gimel Gordon, Georgia State
William Mellors-Blair, Georgia State
Jake Frahm, North Florida
Jean Rivaroli, North Florida
Brad Sienkiewicz, North Florida
Sindre Ek, Siena
Falko Friedrichs, Siena
Gavin Carlin, Jacksonville
Guilherme Brandao, Jacksonville

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