North Florida ousted in NCAA men's soccer tournament in penalty kicks

North Florida ousted in NCAA men's soccer tournament in penalty kicksStory byThe Florida Times-UnionGarry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-UnionFri, November 21, 2025 at 4:48 AM UTC·2 min read

It was as heartbreaking an exit from the NCAA men's soccer tournament as the University of North Florida Ospreys likely could have imagined.

After senior forward Luc Granitur tied the game 2-2 with four seconds to play in regulation, after both teams played to a standoff in two five-minute overtimes and after both teams converted all five of their attempts in the first round of penalty kicks, North Carolina finally found a way to end it.

North Florida Ospreys forward Luc Granitur (11) hoists the trophy with the team after the game of the ASUN Men's Soccer Championship at North Florida’s Hodges Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The North Florida Ospreys edged the Bellarmine Knights 3-2 in overtime.[Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Luis Vera scored on the Tar Heels' seventh penalty kick and a shot by Ospreys sophomore Kaiss Mansouri hit the crossbar as the UNC advanced to a second-round game at Maryland on Nov. 24.

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UNF (12-6-1) was the ASUN champions for the second year in a row, beating Bellarmine 3-2 in overtime at Hodges Stadium on Nov. 15. The Ospreys had to beat Stetson in penalty kicks in the semifinals.

Luc Granitur scored twice, then again in PKs

North Florida proved throughout the game that it belonged in the NCAAs.

Granitur gave the Ospreys a 1-0 lead with a goal, assisted by sophomore Rafa Rios, and after the Tar Heels took a 2-1 lead, Granitur equalized it with a shot that glanced off the crossbar and into the net, past keeper Alex Cores. Rios and sophomore Mark Romano of Ponte Vedra were in on the assist.

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When the two teams went to penalty kicks, Granitur, junior Tyler Prebenda, Rios, sophomore Geraldo Neto and ASUN Player of the Year Anton Khelil all made their attempts.

On the sixth round, Romano and UNC's Gabriel Bracken Serra both missed. Vera made his for the Tar Heels and Mansouri missed to end the marathon match.

Before the penalty kicks, junior goalkeeper Luciano Natoli recorded four saves in 110 minutes in the frame.

Since going 3-8-4 overall and 0-6-1 in the ASUN in 2023, Jamie Davies has coached the Ospreys to a combined 19-13-6 record overall and 8-4-1 in the ASUN.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tar Heels edge stubborn North Florida Ospreys in NCAA men's soccer

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