JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After starting the season with four matches on the road, the University of North Florida men’s soccer team opens up its home schedule with a match against Georgia State on Friday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m. at Hodges Stadium. 

“I love playing at home,” head coach Ray Bunch remarked of his team’s first match at Hodges Stadium.  “It is more of a comfort zone.  If there is a 50-50 call, they typically go to the home team.  There are small things like staying in your own bed and being on an easier schedule that help out when you play at home.”

“However, the biggest factor is the crowd,” Bunch continued.  “If you look at any soccer team, the crowd always seems to be the 12th man and our fans are no different.  They help us out tremendously.  We are very fortunate here to have wonderful fans that come out to Hodges Stadium and show us a lot of support.”

The Ospreys (0-4-0) will look to continue its success at home.  North Florida is 85-49-13 (.622) all-time when playing at home.  Last season, UNF posted a 6-3-0 (.667) record at Hodges Stadium. 

In addition to playing at home, UNF will look to continue its success over the Panthers, who enter the match with a 1-1-1 record.  The Ospreys hold a 2-0-0 all-time record against Georgia State.  The match with GSU marks the first time the two teams will meet at Hodges Stadium. 

North Florida opened up the 2007 season on the road against the Panthers and returned to Jacksonville with a 2-1 victory.  In 2006, the Ospreys and Panthers went into overtime with UNF claiming a 2-1 victory at the Jacksonville University Tournament. 

In the last meeting with Georgia State, Adam O’Neill finished the match with three points.  O’Neill scored the match-winning goal and added an assist on the first goal of the match.  In the 2006 meeting with the Panthers, current seniors Shareef Rajkumar and Frank Dinzey each had an assist in the match.  Dinzey had the helper on Matt Williams’ (2005-06) golden goal. 

Dinzey and redshirt freshman Calvin Lowe are currently leading the Ospreys with three points apiece.  The duo both have one goal and one assist each.