Friday, October 24, 2008

MACON, Ga. - One of the Atlantic Sun’s two intra-city matchups takes center stage as Jacksonville and UNF meet on the pitch in the men’s soccer Game of the Week at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday at UNF’s Hodges Stadium.

The winner of Sunday’s contest earns the Dennis Violett Memorial Cup. UNF reclaimed the trophy in 2007 with a 2-1 double overtime win on Oct. 17. In that match, Adam O'Neil opened the scoring for the Ospreys with a tally in the 58th minute. The Dolphins leveled the score four minutes later sending the match into overtime. Akil DeFreitas scored on a breakaway in the 106th minute to claim the victory for UNF.

Jacksonville enters the weekend sitting in second place in the conference, six points behind the pace-setting Campbell Camels. The road has proven agreeable to the Dolphins as they have won seven of their last eight A-Sun road matches dating back to last season.

Goalkeeper Joey Sanchez helped build on that strong record with two strong performances last weekend. In games at Stetson and at FGCU, he made nine saves and posted a 0.50 GAA to earn the A-Sun Defensive Player of the Week. For their efforts last week, the Dolphins earned a No. 7 ranking in the South Region of National Soccer Coaches Association of America weekly poll.

While the Dolphins took care of the Hatters and Eagles, the Ospreys struggled with the same two opponents, losing 7-1 to FGCU on Oct. 17 and dropping a 1-0 overtime decision to Stetson two days later. In the overtime loss to Stetson, goalkeeper Tony Restino made a career-high 10 saves. With 65 saves this season, Restino needs just one more to place his name on the UNF men’s soccer record book top-10 list for saves in a single season.

UNF counters Jacksonville’s recent road success against A-Sun opponents with a track record of success at Hodges Stadium. The Ospreys own a 4-1-0 record at home this year. Dating back to 2007, they have won six of their last seven and dating further back and own a 10-3-1 record in their last 14 home games.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.