Jacksonville, Fla. – Central Arkansas men's soccer (5-4-2, 2-1-1 ASUN) fell to North Florida 2-1 after the Ospreys scored in the 89th minute.
Central Arkansas looked to get on the board first from the opening whistle. In the first half, the Bears attacked the middle of the Ospreys' defense but struggled to get the ball deep into the North Florida third and produce quality shots. North Florida also struggled to get the ball into the Central Arkansas third, as both teams finished the first half with similar offensive numbers.
Central Arkansas controlled 52 percent of possession in the first half and outshot the Ospreys 5-3. Each team recorded one shot on goal, with the Bears' coming from Garner Wolfe in the 35th minute. Central Arkansas finished the half with one corner kick, while North Florida did not record one. The Bears also committed six fouls compared to five from the Ospreys.
The Bears looked to distance themselves early in the second half, scoring in the 49th minute when Max Sheenkov found the back of the net after a Logan Smith throw-in bounced off an Osprey defender. It was Sheenkov's fourth goal of the season, tying him with Vaclav Kozeny for the team lead.
Central Arkansas controlled the match early in the second half, but North Florida earned a penalty kick after an Osprey player was fouled inside the Central Arkansas third. Rafa Rios converted the penalty kick to even the match at 1-1 in the 56th minute.
The rest of the match went back and forth, with both teams creating opportunities in the other's third. Defenders Joseph Mwamba and Kaisei Matsudo played key roles on the back line, helping limit North Florida's offensive opportunities while playing all 90 minutes.
Central Arkansas' best opportunity to regain the lead came in the 84th minute, when freshman Danny Nava fired a shot from the top of the box that clipped the top of the crossbar.
North Florida struck for the game-winning goal in the 89th minute after creating a series of passes in the Central Arkansas third. One of those passes found Mark Romano, who scored to give the Ospreys a 2-1 lead. With the victory, North Florida remains first in the ASUN standings and becomes the first team in the conference to clinch a spot in the ASUN Championship.
Central Arkansas returns to the road for its next matchup against West Florida at UWF Soccer Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ with live statistics available online.
