JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sophomore Adam O’Neill assisted on two goals while freshman Dario
Grigc scored one and assisted on one Sunday in the University of North Florida men’s soccer team’s final Atlantic Sun Conference match of the season, helping the Ospreys hold on to a 3-2 win against Belmont at Hodges Stadium.
“Finishing our conference schedule with a win is good,” said UNF head coach Ray Bunch. “Overall, we were a little disappointed with our league season since we were in the top of the ranks for over half of it. We would have liked to finish higher, but ending it with a win is a nice consolation.”
UNF (8-10-0, 4-5-0 A-Sun) took control of the match early and kept the pressure on Belmont (9-7-2, 4-3-2) for most of the match. Though both teams took five shots in the first half, the Ospreys set the tempo and created several good scoring opportunities, but failed to find the back of the net, sending the match to halftime at a scoreless tie.
“I think that having the wind at our backs in the first half actually hurt us,” Bunch said. “Several of our passes soared long because they were held up by the wind. With the winds in our face in the second half, our timing seemed better and we were able to capitalize on our scoring chances.”
A little less than 20 minutes into the second half, the Ospreys netted the match’s first goal on an attack led by O’Neill. He took a shot from 15 yards that Belmont keeper Janrai Gravely saved but could not control. The ball bounced to the left side of the box, where junior Ryan Billings waited and scored his first career goal.
At the 73:38 mark, O’Neill again paved the way for the Ospreys when he made a cross from outside the left side of the box. Walk-on freshman Dario Grigc, playing in his fourth match of the season, sprinted down the middle of the box and headed the cross into the top left corner of the goal for his first career score.
“That was one of the best goals we have scored in years,” Bunch said. “Adam made a fantastic cross into the box and Dario was in the right place to finish it.”
Less than four minutes later, Grigc took one of UNF’s three corner kicks and posted his first career assist. His kick found senior Oscar Ortiz, who took a shot that beat Janrai and was deflected by a defender standing in the left corner of the net. However, the ball bounced up off the defender’s foot and hit the crossbar before returning to the ground inside the net. The goal was Ortiz’s first of the season and fourth of his career.
“We looked really strong in the first half and most of the second half, but we were obviously fatigued toward the end,” Bunch said. “They started pushing to try to make up some goals and we weren’t able to make a break on their attacks. But I don’t think the last several minutes should take away from the way our guys played today.”
Down three goals with less than 10 minutes to play, the Bruins mounted a fierce comeback that began with a goal in the 81st minute. When a foul created a free kick opportunity for Belmont from the center of the field only one yard outside the box, Dan Meacock seized the chance and put the Bruins on the scoreboard. He rocketed a shot past UNF keeper Tony Restino and into the bottom left corner of the net.
Belmont continued to apply pressure to the Osprey defensive unit, but scored its second goal in a less traditional way. A through ball kicked from behind midfield by Taylor Preston bounced toward Restino who readied himself to stop it and send it back to the Ospreys. The ball took a bad hop and bounced over Restino’s foot, leaving Restino with no option except watching it roll into the net.
“That was very unfortunate for Tony,” Bunch said. “It simply took a terrible hop and went right past him. It happens to the best keepers in the world. Fortunately, it really didn’t hurt us.”
The Ospreys tightened their defense and kept the Bruins scoreless for the final six minutes.
UNF finishes its season with a home match against Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 8, at noon.