KSU women’s soccer team entered the weekend having won six of its last seven games. That trend seemed likely to continue as the Owls hosted North Florida on Saturday at KSU Stadium in the opening round of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
Instead, the Ospreys ended KSU’s season, as two early goals helped North Florida (8-9-2, 5-3-1 A-Sun) advance to the semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over the Black and Gold.
“We came out a little bit flat. I think North Florida was beating us to the ball early in the game,” said Rob King, head coach. “We didn’t possess the ball very well, they scored early in the game, and I think they beat us to the ball most of the first half.”
North Florida took the momentum early, scoring a goal in the first five minutes of the contest when junior forward Lauren Hopfensperger recovered a ball that was initially denied by KSU, following a corner kick, and put it past senior goalkeeper Lauren Roberts.
Heartbreak found the Owls just before the half when an improbable goal dropped KSU in a 2-0 hole near the break.
North Florida’s sophomore mid-fielder Alexi Zarembia scored 35 yards away when her long-distance attempt deflected off the bar and Roberts’ head on its way to the back of the net.
Despite the frustration of what was apparently a save becoming a goal, King insisted the team play wasn’t solid enough to make that an excuse.
“It was a good save to get it back to the post, I think. But it came back, hit her head and went in,” said King. “But at that point we weren’t playing well. We didn’t deserve to be in the game at that point. In the second-half we turned it around, but it was too little too late.”
KSU cleaned up play in the second half, but fell into more trouble in the 69th minute when senior forward Michelle Larrinaga sent a shot past Roberts’ coverage.
The Owls finally scored late in the contest when redshirt sophomore Jewlia Strickland capitalized on a free kick from 40 yards away.
Strickland’s goal would be the last the Owls would score in 2012 as the Ospreys finished the contest strong for a 3-1 win.
Injuries showed for the Owls, as the Ospreys played five more players than KSU. KSU registered more shots, corner kicks, and saves in the match but still could not find the goal in live scrimmage time.
North Florida advanced in the A-Sun tournament and will play number two seed Mercer in Fort Myer’s, Fla., on Friday night. The winner of that contest will face Jacksonville or North Florida for the conference tournament title.
KSU finished its season with 10 wins for the ninth time in its young history, which began in 2002. King sees a bright future for the soccer team.
“This is the start of a future for our team. What our players have done from last fall through the spring, until now, has really shaped where we are going as a program,” King said.
The loss became the last collegiate appearances for seniors Roberts, Melissa Hutto, Liz Blackburn and Lexi Hastings.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the team and more proud of our seniors. They’ve battled through a lot of adversity,” King said. “There are obviously a lot of injuries on the team that we are getting through.”