Liberty Secures ASUN Tournament Berth with 4-1 Win over North Florida

Marko Mitrevski scored twice and Brandt Betts and Seth Clark put the game out of reach with goals late, as the Liberty Flames topped the North Florida Ospreys 4-1 in an ASUN match, Saturday evening at Osborne Stadium.

With the victory in the last game of its regular season, Liberty captures a spot in the 2021 ASUN Men’s Soccer Championship, which begins Friday at sites yet to be determined.

A penalty midway through the first half by Mitrevski gave the host Flames a 1-0 lead at halftime. Mitrevski then extended Liberty’s advantage 2-0 with a goal during the 63^rd minute.

Sending extra attackers forward, the Ospreys cut the Flames’ lead to 2-1 at the 80^th minute, only to see Betts and Clark score a minute apart shortly afterward to assure the victory.

Liberty moves to 3-4 in ASUN play and 7-8 overall. The Flames entered the match needing a victory to qualify for the ASUN Tournament. North Florida finishes its season with a 2-5 record in conference and 4-8-1 overall.

Scoring

27’ – LIBERTY – Marko Mitrevski (Penalty kick)

63’ – LIBERTY – Marko Mitrevski (Assisted by Gabe Findley)

80’ – UNF – Joaquin Acuna (Unassisted)

86’ – LIBERTY – Brandt Betts (Unassisted)

87’ – LIBERTY – Seth Clark (Assisted by Noah Holmes)

Turning Point

Shortly after North Florida scored to make it 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining, Betts extended Liberty’s lead during the 86^th minute. Betts stepped in front of a clearing pass in the midfield and move forward on the right side of the field. In the clear, the defender ripped a shot from 25 yards out into the top left corner of the goal to give the Flames a 3-1 advantage. 61 seconds later, Clark scored to seal the Liberty victory.

Key Stats & Notes

• North Florida outshot Liberty, 11-9. The Ospreys held a 6-5 edge on shots on goal.
• Mitrevski scored two goals in a game for the first time in his Liberty career. The midfielder now has three goals on the season.
• Betts netted his first collegiate goal, while Clark scored his first goal of the season in the contest.
• Liberty goalkeeper Danny Cordero made a season-high four saves in the match. North Florida keeper Padraic Gilley did not record a save. The Ospreys had a team save in the match.
• Flames defender Malik Smith played the full 90 minutes and finishes the regular season with the most minutes played, 1,236, of any Liberty player. The defender has averaged 82.4 minutes per game, this fall.
• Liberty defeats North Florida for the first time in ASUN play. The Ospreys had won the previous three matches between the two teams.
• Before the match, Liberty held its Senior Night ceremony. The Flames recognized Blake Myers, Shane Geisler, Nathan Yoder, Sam Schubert, Hunter Heard, Jack Worth and Smith for their contributions to the Flames’ program.

Up Next

Liberty now awaits the outcome of tonight’s remaining ASUN matches to find out seeding, its opponent and the sites for the ASUN Quarterfinal contests. The ASUN Men’s Soccer Championship gets underway with the quarterfinals, Friday.

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