JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The University of North Florida men’s soccer team is embracing the underdog role as it stands as the only team from the Sunshine State to qualify for this year’s NCAA National Tournament. This marks just the second appearance in program history since becoming a Division I program 19 years ago.
Picked to finish last in the ASUN Conference, first-year head coach Jamie Davies had other plans.
“We were picked to finish last in the conference, and we’ve finished top,” Davies said.
Davies wasted no time setting high expectations for his team, bringing the Ospreys just their second ASUN Conference Tournament title and instilling belief in their ability to compete at a high level.
“I said to the group early on, a couple games into the ASUN, ‘You can win this. I think you have everything in this team to win this,’” Davies said. “Let’s not say this is a two- or three-year project because we’ll look back in years and regret everything. Let’s maximize this moment and go for it.”
ASUN Tournament MVP Joaquin Acuña said Davies brought intangibles to the Ospreys.
“He’s brought belief in us, which is something you can’t really buy,” Acuña said. “He’s brought his mentality about how you can dominate a team and play your game throughout the 90 minutes without waver.”
While the upperclassmen savor the moment, younger players like sophomore Tyler Prebenda know this historic achievement sets a new benchmark for the program.
“Our goal is to put UNF on the map, and going forward this is the standard and keep growing from this,” Prebenda said.
Even though UNF fell to West Virginia in the first round, 2-1, the future is bright for the program.