The UCA men’s soccer team ended its 2024 season in the ASUN final against North Florida, tying the game 3-3 against the Ospreys, only to lose the championship in a penalty shootout.
The first goal of the game was scored by North Florida sophomore midfielder Anton Khelil — with an assist by senior midfielder Rentaro Miyakawa — only nine minutes and 23 seconds into the game.
UCA (8-7-3, ASUN 3-3-1) responded to the Ospreys (7-7-4, ASUN 4-2-1) four minutes later with a goal by senior midfielder Devonte Richards, assisted by freshman midfielders Pharis Petrica and Andre Gomez.
Richards proved to be the Bears’ star-shooter in the 2024 season, amassing 19 goals with 25 shots on goal.
The Bears took the lead nearly 22 minutes into the game, Richards scooping up his second goal of the evening yet again assisted by Gomez.
Totaling in at 5 assists during the 2024 season, Gomez tied with Richards and senior midfielder Sohma Ichikawa for most UCA assists. Gomez scored a total of five points throughout the season.
The Ospreys garnered their second goal of the game over 38 minutes into the game, scored by redshirt junior midfielder David Perez with an assist from graduate student forward Angus Taylor.
Both teams remained tied 2-2 at the end of the first half.
The second period began quieter than the first, with senior forward Joaquin Acuna scoring North Florida’s third goal 66 minutes into the game, the senior assisted by junior midfielder Jaylen Yearwood and senior defender Nick Kishchenko.
72 minutes in, UCA tied the game back 3-3 with a third goal from Richards. This marked Richards’s first and only hat trick of the season.
The game’s second half ended without another goal scored, leading the Ospreys and Bears to go head-to-head in overtime.
Even with two overtime periods, neither team was able to pick up another goal.
During the two extra periods, UCA took five shots while North Florida took three. UCA’s Petrica shot two of the five attempts, while senior midfielder/forward Tajio James sunk the ball toward the bottom left of the goal, only for the Ospreys to make the save.
UCA Junior goalkeeper Javier Ramirez saved two of the Ospreys’ three overtime shots. Ramirez played in all 18 games of the 2024 season, saving a total of 81 balls.
With neither team scoring during the overtime periods, the game entered into a penalty shootout.
UCA’s Richards began the shootout with a successful goal, with Osprey’s Khelil answering back with a goal for North Florida. Both the Bears and the Ospreys made their second shots of the shootout, however, UCA slipped up during its third shot, giving North Florida the edge by one point.
In the fourth attempt, UCA’s Petrica scored the Bears’ third goal as the Ospreys missed, tying the shootout 3-3.
In the final attempt, Acuna sank the Ospreys’ fourth goal, while UCA’s Ramirez failed to score the Bears a fourth point, handing the championship win to North Florida.